Lisa Leslie poses for a photo before a game between Phantom and Hive at Sephora Arena on Feb. 22, 2026 in Medley, Fla.
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Analyst Lisa Leslie and guest commentator Sabrina Ionescu participate on the the broadcast team during an Unrivaled game between the Vinyl and the Laces at Sephora Arena on Feb. 28, 2026 in Medley, Fla.
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Los Angeles Sparks’ Lisa Leslie (9) holds the MVP trophy after leading the Western Conference All-Stars to an 81-76 victory in the 2002 WNBA All-Star Game played at the MCI Center in Washington, Monday, July 15, 2002.
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Former WNBA star Lisa Leslie attends the game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Minnesota Lynx at Crypto.com Arena on May 17, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
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Women’s basketball brings me joy.
It’s an exciting time on the calendar, with a promise of delightful moments, as the NCAA Final Four starts Friday, the WNBA Draft is scheduled for April 13 and the WNBA season arrives on May 8.
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“Breaking Glass: The Pat Summitt Story” is getting rave reviews. It’s streaming on Hulu and will be shown Sunday, April 5 on ESPN. The film, according to ESPNpressroom.com, underscores how her influence extended far beyond the basketball court, shaping generations of athletes and redefining leadership in women’s sports. From her upbringing on a Tennessee dairy farm, where humble beginnings forged the toughness that defined her career, to her record-setting run at the University of Tennessee, the film chronicles both her triumphs and the profound challenges she faced, including her diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease.
This column is sponsored by Times Union Women@Work, the Capital Region’s network of business and professional women. Join today at: https://womenatworkny.com
Friday’s Final Four matchups feature all of the tournament’s No. 1 seeds. It’s the fifth time that has happened in women’s basketball, according to NCAA.com. The 2025 and 2026 tournaments marked only the second time in history the same four teams made the Final Four in consecutive seasons.
I picked UConn and Texas to make the Finals, with Texas pulling off the upset. But my heart is with Dawn Staley’s South Carolina to win it all. Raven Johnson, Tessa Johnson, Joyce Edwards and emerging freshman Agot Makeer, a 6-foot guard from Canada, are so fun to watch. UConn, of course, is heavily favored, solid at all positions, and unbeatable when the offense runs through super sophomore Sarah Strong, the 2026 Naismith Player of the Year.
As a Women’s History Month treat to myself, I set aside time to tune in to a virtual event featuring Lisa Leslie, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer whose induction speech in 2015 is a must-watch. The event, called “Own Your Court: Aligning Vision with Purpose with Lisa Leslie” was a 45-minute Q&A that added to the joy that March Madness women’s basketball brings.
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Leslie has not been selected for head coaching positions she applied for in the WNBA and she spoke about how that has impacted her life.
Former Los Angeles Sparks player Lisa Leslie talks about Candace Parker during Parker’s jersey retirement ceremony on June 29, 2025 in Los Angeles.
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“When one door closes I’m going to go to the positive, because another door is going to open,” she said. “For example, I had applied to be a basketball coach — and I really hadn’t talked about this much — but to be a basketball coach in the WNBA for two different teams and got denied. I felt I was a little sad, I was a little heartbroken, but that was a moment, because something was bigger and better for me.”
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She stressed the word “moment.” And in all life-altering moments are opportunities.
Leslie’s basketball podcast for justwomenssports.com, “Between the Lines with Lisa Leslie,” is one of those opportunities. Her latest episode features Nneka Ogwumike, the Seattle Storm forward who is president of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association. Ogwumike and her players association team recently negotiated a monumental collective bargaining agreement with owners that has set a new standard for paying all players — past and present.
The 2026 WNBA CBA introduces massive increases in compensation, with veteran minimum salaries rising to $270,000-$300,000 based on years of service, with max contracts reaching $1.4 million. Key 2026 bonuses include $60,000 for MVPs and champions, plus a one-time $30,000-$100,000 recognition payment for veterans.
Leslie, a 12-year WNBA player and three-time league MVP who retired as the all-time leading rebounder in WNBA history, earned a $100,000 payment. The 6-foot-5 center spent her entire career with the Los Angeles Sparks (1997-2009), earning two championships — both with Finals MVP honors. She would have earned close to $1 million in bonuses alone if she played under the terms of the current contract.
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“I was shocked to see that you guys were able to do this one-time recognition payment for retired players. … On behalf of all the veterans of the WNBA, the players are so thankful,” Leslie told Ogwumike on the podcast.
She acknowledged in the podcast that she has had to help former WNBA players financially, including paying for funerals.
Los Angeles Sparks center Lisa Leslie (9) throws a pass over Phoenix Mercury defenders Toni Foster, Nancy Lieberman-Cline (10) and Jennifer Gillom during a 1997 WNBA preseason game.
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“It’s truly an honor for us to be in a position to be able to consider all the players, not just the ones coming in or the ones that are playing, but the ones on the shoulders of which we stand on, and the ones that are still pouring into the league, like you, Lisa,” Ogwumike said.
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“I will say this over and over again, I don’t want anyone believing that your $100,000 payout is enough,” Ogwumike told Leslie, adding that the WNBPA fought hard for those payments to also go to deceased members’ families and for a pension for former and current WNBA players.
Leslie indeed is still pouring into the league and women’s basketball. She was just seen working out with South Carolina post players and offering inspiration to the team. She was an analyst and commentator for TNT Sports’ broadcasts of Unrivaled games in the 2025-26 season. Based again in Miami during the winter for the 3-on-3 league’s second season, she also served as a mentor, providing 1-on-1 instruction to players like Angel Reese.
When the new WNBA labor contract was announced, CBS Sports revealed Leslie was hired as an analyst for the 2026 season. The announcement, part of CBS Sports’ expanded long-term multiplatform rights deal with the WNBA, includes the return of a pregame, halftime, and postgame studio show. Leslie will join fellow WNBA icon Renee Montgomery as co-analyst with Jenny Dell as host.
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