Tag: wnba

This post is part of a media project called SoCal Sports History 101: The Prime Numbers from 00 to 99 that Uniformly, Uniquely and Unapologetically Reveal The Narrative of Our Region’s Athletic Heritage. Pick a number, and consider the list of athletes attached to it. Who wore it best? Or, what’s the most compelling story linked to it? Any person, place or thing is in play with Southern California connections. Star power, transformational achievement, longevity, notoriety and quirkiness all factor in. Whatever leads to a lively discussion and interpretation.

The most obvious choices for No. 9:

Lisa Leslie: Los Angeles Sparks
Paul Kariya:  Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Matthew Stafford: Los Angeles Rams
Nick Van Exel: Los Angeles Lakers
Bernie Nicholls: Los Angeles Kings
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Los Angeles Galaxy
Wally Moon: Los Angeles Dodgers

The not-so-obvious choices for No. 9:

Marquis Lee: USC football
Juju Smith-Schuster: USC football
Damon Allen: Cal State Fullerton football
Bryce Young: Mater Dei High football

The most interesting story for No. 9:
Lisa Leslie: Los Angeles Sparks (1997 to 2009) via USC and Morningside High
Southern California map pinpoints:
Inglewood, downtown Los Angeles (USC, Staples Center)

Reference books on the subject:
“Don’t Let the Lipstick Fool You: The Making of a Champion,” by Lisa Leslie with Larry Burnett, 2008

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Lisa Leslie says she never felt entitled wearing No. 9.

But it would have been quite bold, and actually very cool looking back on it now, had she requested that now-retired number she wore for 12 years on her purple-and-gold Los Angeles Sparks jersey been represented in Roman numerals.

“I’ve called myself a Title IX baby — I’ve been called a lot of things — (but) to be one of the first children of Title IX, an amazing piece of legislation, has really changed my life and the path I’ve gone down,” she told us once.

The three-time WNBA MVP, eight-time All Star, three-time All Star MVP, eight-time All-WNBA first team member (and four time second-team member) and two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year to go with two WNBA championship as a representative of the Sparks was born on July 7, 1972 — just two weeks after the bill leveling the playing field for boys and girls sports was signed into law, and six days after it took effect.

Blessed with height and athletic skills is one thing. But timing is important as well.

The 37 words that reshaped the landscape of higher education go as: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

It goes back to how the 14th Amendment of the Constitution and its Equal Protection Clause was draw up and ratified in 1868 in the post-Civil War era.

Leslie said in the ninth grade during a civics classes at Morningside High in Inglewood, she read about Title IX in a textbook.

“When I was reading all this in ninth grade, I finally got it — sports are bigger than me,” she told us. “To me, that was my responsibility. Maybe it was the fact I had a really good history teacher. It changed my life.

“I remember feeling like, ‘Wow, if this didn’t exist, we couldn’t play?’ It was shocking. I’d only been into sports a few years at that point, starting with the seventh grade. I guess it made me realize how much of a privilege it was.

“But you know what – it’s almost like girls are brainwashed because we are made to feel as if: `You better be thankful that you can play’ and `This is a privilege, you don’t always get to do this.’ We believed it!

“That got me so much on track to focus on school – if you don’t get your grades up, you can’t play.”

She likely felt more empowered by it during her days representing the United States on four Olympic gold-medal basketball teams.

We’re all still learning how Title IX has shaken out on the sports landscape. But Leslie remains a powerful force in playing it forward.

Continue reading “No. 9: Lisa Leslie” →