Last High School Game

May 1989
Dear Diary,
Yesterday I swore to make my last high school game the best I had ever played. I succeeded in doing that. I knew it was going to be hard to reach my goal. I had averaged 27 points and 15 rebounds a game. I blocked the shots of anybody that got in my way. In our last game we played South Terrence High School. My coach knew my goal and he told my teammates to get the ball to me so that I could break Morningside's single-game scoring record. My teammates came through. I had 49 points in the first quarter! I came back with 52 in the second, giving me 101 at half-time. Not only did I set a new school record, but I was 5 points away from beating the all time single game record! But that was only halftime. I was determined to get those 5 extra points. But the other team was too embarrassed to play the second half and forfeited. After the game I won the Naismith Prep Player of the year. This is the highlight of my career so far.
Sincerely,
Lisa Leslie

USC

August 1990
Dear Diary,
I have decided what college to go to. I am going to go to University of South Carolina (USC). It wasn't a hard decision for me though. The coaches and scouts that had been following me gave me very appealing offers. But I had made my mind up. I was going to USC. The reason I chose USC is because that is my hometown college. To me it seems like a perfect fit. I had always wanted my mom to see me play basketball. This way, she can come and see me without having to drive very far. My first game is on November 11th. It is against Texas. Hopefully, I will play as well as I did in high school. Wish me luck!

Until Later,
Lisa Leslie

U.S Olympic Team

March 1995
Dear Diary,

I had not always wanted to play basketball. It wasn't until 7th grade that I started to like it. So I never thought I would get this far. I have just been chosen to play on the U.S. Olympic team! Nearly 60 women tried out and only ten or so players made it! When I heard I was chosen, it was all I could do not to scream. I am really excited to play but I have seen the schedule and it looks tough. I have to train for a year. I also have to travel around the world and play games against the world's best players as part of my training. The training will hopefully shape us into better players and hopefully, we will be able to win this. There is going to be a lot of pressure but I'm ready.

Sincerely,
Lisa Leslie

Olympic Medal

July 1996
Dear Diary,

This is the moment I have been waiting for ever since I first touched a basketball. Our team, the US, has just won an Olympic gold medal for basketball! Let me tell you about how we made this great win happen. First, we beat off Cuba, Ukraine, Zaire, South Korea, Japan, and Australia. During the game against Japan, I set a new Olympic world record, scoring 35 points in one game. I was soon described as the "unstoppable Lisa Leslie". The Brazilian team was hard to beat. They were one of the best teams in the world and had won the gold medal last year. We did succeed in beating them. We made it to the three medal games and we won all three. The country is finally becoming aware of women's basketball. This is the happiest moment in my basketball career!

Until Later,
Lisa Leslie

WNBA

October 18, 1996
Dear Diary,

A couple days ago, I was signed to play in the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association). Did I mention that I (and the other players that are picked to play) will be the first ever to play in the WNBA? The officials had announced that the teams would be: Charlotte, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Houston, New York, Phoenix, and Sacramento. Then, just today, the WNBA held it's Elite Draft for the 16 signed players. I went to the Los Angeles Sparks, my hometown team. The season scheduled to be in the summer. I think that is kind of odd because usual basketball season are in the winter. I can kind of see their point. This way, they will have little or no competition for the fan's attention. It is still going to be weird to play in the summer but I will get used to it. The first game is on June 21, the first day of summer. I still have a while to prepare. I know that I will be able to play well because I have played basketball for almost all my life.

Wish Me Luck!!
Lisa Leslie

Modeling

November 1996
Dear Diary,

Today, I signed a contract with Wilhelmina Models, Inc. I will want to continue modeling but also continue playing basketball. Some of my modeling jobs so far are a photo spread for Olympic athletes for Vogue magazine and a feature in Newsweek magazine. I have a also been on the to show off both Armani and Tommy Hilfiger fashions. I love every part of modeling. I am excited to do more. I love when I am on a runway in front of hundreds of people and when it is just me and the photographer. It gives me a chance to show people that I am not just a basketball star. I am much more. I like to show girls that you can be tough and feminine too. I am excited to start a new modeling career.

Sincerely,
Lisa Leslie

Madison Square Garden

July 14th, 1999
Dear Diary,

Earlier today, I was playing basketball at Madison Square Garden! I was very excited to be playing there because because the fans voted on who should be playing. There was five starting players from the Western Conference and five starting players from the Eastern Conference. I was nervous to play though because the closer the big game got, the more my wrist started to hurt. I had hurt my wrist during a fall on the court and I was unable to handle the ball like I usually did. Even though my wrist still did hurt before the game, I felt more relaxed when the game started. I focused more on my shots and not on my wrist. The game started with a 10-0 lead for the West (my team) and it ended with the West Conference winning, 79-61! The crowd helped too. They got me totally fired up and the atmosphere was awesome!

Sincerely,
Lisa Leslie

Never Give Up

August 1999
Dear Diary,

The 1999 WNBA season is a symbol to never give up. The season did not start off well. We lost more games then we won. The thing that got me fired up was the talk that my coach gave me. After he gave us that talk we won 6 games in a row. As soon as we got fired up though, we cooled down again. We lost 9 out of 10 games. We had been in second place, but now we were in third. The longer the season went on, the less our team looked like a playoff contender. I had reached the lowest point in my career and I felt like I could't recover. But I decided that the season wasn't over and I still had a chance to be in the playoffs. Our team bounced back again and won 3 of the last 4 games. We played a game and won against the Charlotte Sting. That game marked the turning point for me. We played a couple more games and made it into the playoffs! My goal was to win it all. We played some games and we won most of them. But then, when we were in the finals against the Houston Comets, a player from the other team was taunting me. I shoved her and I was kicked out of the game. Our team ended up losing. But I am still trying to be positive. This is not the end of my career and there will always be next year. This year was a very exciting and I will try to stay ahead of the competition.

Sincerely,
Lisa Leslie

MVP

August 1999
Dear Diary,

Being the first to achieve an honor is an experience no one can take away. It is the greatest feeling in the world. I just won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the very first All-Star game of the WNBA. But this is not the first award I have won. I was a three time All American in college, National Player of the Year, National Freshman of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year, All WNBA Selection and have been a member of numerous all-star teams. That is a lot of awards but this award means the most to me. I am the first person to ever receive this reward. I still can't believe it. Before I won this I was just a name on some lists. But now I truly feel like a part of the history of women's basketball.

Sincerely,
Lisa Leslie

Sports Complex

June 2001
Dear Diary,

It is an amazing feeling to know that people cared about you enough to have a sports complex built for you. That is what Morningside High, my old high school did for me. So far, it consists of a 42,000 square foot basketball court with 12 baskets, donated by Nike. Eventually, the complex will include facilities for track, baseball, soccer, and tennis. The town even had a ceremony for me. The ceremony was so moving, I cried. This is probably going to be the last diary entry for me since I am so busy so I will give you some advice if you want to play basketball before I go. First of all, you have to practice a lot. I used to practice for hours at the gym, taking about 500 shots from all over the court. And second, never give up no matter how hard it is.

Sincerely,
Lisa Leslie