Net Worth Ranker
What Is Lisa Leslie’s Net Worth?
Lisa Leslie, a celebrated figure in women’s basketball, has accumulated a net worth of approximately $7 million. This financial standing is a result of her successful career in the WNBA, endorsements, media appearances, and business ventures.
Lisa Leslie’s Career Earnings and Income Streams
Leslie’s WNBA career, though not as financially lucrative as the NBA, provided a solid foundation for her wealth. At the peak of her career, her salary was $91,000 per year. In 2003, she signed a four-year deal with the Los Angeles Sparks at the WNBA’s salary cap of about $85,000 per season. Mid-2000s league MVPs earned no more than ~$87,000 a year. These contracts, combined with occasional overseas play, coaching roles, and ownership stakes, contributed to a successful career. Beyond her WNBA salary, Leslie’s endorsement deals significantly boosted her income. She became one of the WNBA’s first marketing superstars, earning well into the seven figures annually from endorsements by 2003.
Her endorsement deals included major brands such as Nike, with whom she launched her signature shoe, Nike Air Total 9 in 1998. She also capitalized on her championship success with endorsements like Sony PlayStation 2, ESPN, Kraft Foods, and Gatorade. Additional partnerships included American Express, Pepsi, and Bud Light.
Since retiring from the WNBA, Leslie has diversified her income streams. She has worked as an analyst and sports commentator for networks such as ABC, NBC, and Fox Sports Net. In 2011, she returned to the Los Angeles Sparks as an investor and one of the team’s owners. In 2019, Leslie began coaching the men’s 3-on-3 basketball team, the Triplets, in the BIG3 league, leading them to a championship that year.
Lisa Leslie’s Early Life and Career Beginnings
Lisa Deshaun Leslie was born on July 7, 1972, in Compton, California. Her father, Walter, was a former professional basketball player, and her mother, Christine, owned a truck driving business. Lisa has three siblings, Dionne, Tiffany, and Elgin. She didn’t meet her father until she was 12 years old. Leslie attended Morningside High School, where she excelled in basketball, volleyball, and track and field. As a senior, she scored 101 points during the first half of a game, setting a national record. After high school, Lisa enrolled at the University of Southern California, earning a bachelor’s degree in communications in 1994. At USC, she played in 120 basketball games and averaged 20.1 points per game. Leslie set Pac-10 Conference records for scoring (2,414 points), blocked shots (321), and rebounding (1,214).
Leslie was drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks during the Initial Allocation phase of the WNBA draft in January 1997. During her time with the Sparks, the team made the playoffs five years in a row, winning their first WNBA title in 2001. She became the WNBA’s first player to score more than 3,000 total career points in 2002, helping the Sparks win their second consecutive WNBA championship. In 2009, she became the first WNBA player to surpass 6,000 points, retiring at the end of the season. When Lisa left the WBNA, she held the records for points (6,263), points + rebounds + assists (10,444), and rebounds (3,307). She was chosen for the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team at age 17. She averaged 13.3 points per game during the 1989 Junior World Championship. She won four gold medals at the Olympics and two gold medals at the FIBA World Championship for Women (1998 and 2002). Leslie became the nation’s all-time leading scorer in Olympic competition during the 2004 Olympics.
Lisa Leslie’s Real Estate and Personal Life
In 2012, Leslie purchased a 4,600-square-foot home in Calabasas, California, for $1.7 million. The five-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom home was sold for $1.854 million in 2016. Subsequently, in September 2016, Lisa acquired a home in Delray Beach, Florida, for $1.7 million. Today, this home is estimated to be worth between $3-4 million.
Lisa married UPS pilot/former Air Force Academy basketball player Michael Lockwood on November 5, 2005. In 2007, she took a year off from basketball due to pregnancy, and she and Michael welcomed daughter Lauren Jolie Lockwood on June 15, 2007, followed by a son, Michael Joseph Lockwood II, on April 6, 2010. Leslie is a Christian, and in a 2014 interview with the “Biblical Recorder,” she stated, “As a prayerful kid, I was always putting my faith and goals in the Lord’s name. That was always one of the things that helped me the most. I always wanted to fulfill His purpose. I think that’s really been the saving grace for me.”
Awards and Recognition
Lisa Leslie’s achievements have been recognized with numerous awards and honors. In 1994, she won a Honda Sports Award, USBWA Women’s National Player of the Year award, WBCA Player of the Year award, and Naismith College Player of the Year award. She was named Best WNBA Player at the 2007 ESPY Awards. In 2015, she was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. She was named one of the league’s “Top 20 Players of All Time ” (the WNBA Top 20@20) in 2016.
