Leslie, the Media and "Looking Like Women"

Leslie's actual words about both the media coverage and about how women should carry themselves as representatives of the WNBA are available at Swish Appeal. The entire audio of Leslie's post-game comments can now be heard.

Leslie: "And I can tell you, I'm still really disappointed where women's basketball is. I mean, I just have to say, that this is an opportunity for me, but to see how hard we play and to look at the news and not even be able to find out, you know, to see the highlights of what's happening at Detroit and Indiana or to see the phenomenal play that's happened here, you know, with Diana and the Sparks and myself and Candace Parker, her having 18 rebounds and 24 points.

There's just been phenomenal basketball being played in the WNBA and we just cannot get our place, you know, in society and it's unfortunate that this great opportunity is being missed by, you know, I think the world at times. So I just hope that you guys continue to do your job and continue to write about us and support us. Because we deserve to have a place in the media, we deserve to have a place in the news. And when you turn on the sports channels, you should see what happened in the WNBA. We deserve that."



...and her words on WNBA deportment.

Leslie: "Also another important message is how we represent ourselves as women. We need to look like women; it's important how we carry ourselves, how we dress on and off the court. A lot of these things have to be addressed and continue to be addressed because we are the product, and it's important.

People want to see a good product. They do. That's just the bottom line. And you need to be marketable and I think that more women need to understand that here in our league."

She should have said, "we need to look professional" - a message about professionalism is not one about gender roles.

Lisa Leslie: "WNBA Players Need to Act Like Women"

Buried in all of the hagiographic commentary about Lisa Leslie - the retiring veteran of the Los Angeles Sparks - a few people at Twitter and RebKell are commenting on something that Leslie said in the post-game comments after the Phoenix-Los Angeles game. Namely, that Leslie said something very much like "WNBA players need to dress like and act like women on and off the court."

This is only a paraphrase. I'm trying to find the actual comment. It looks like neither the WNBA nor ESPN will display the entire press conference - particularly since Leslie was supposedly critical about media coverage as well. I hoped that it would have been attached to the archived Sparks/Mercury game at WNBA Live Access, but no such luck.

So if Lisa Leslie said something like this, I wish someone had asked her - what are women supposed to look like? What are the rules? Are they written down somewhere? Who drew them up? You? And how are women supposed to act? (I suppose they shouldn't be playing basketball. Too masculine.)

Learning that Leslie said something like this casts a raincloud over what should be the honoring of a legendary player.

They Said It

"I knew that by the time I reached Tina, I was going to hit her. I had to hit her. In a split second, I thrust my arms out to shove her. My hands went all the way to her throat. I made contact, but then I quickly stepped back. The only thing that saved me what the fact that I knew Tina and I had a love for her. That was why I decided, at the last second, not to sock her. I just shoved Tina really hard. When I looked at my friend, I could not hit her the way that I really wanted to. I knew it was not right. But I was so angry and frustrated that then I started cursing. I felt like Tina had turned on me."

-- Lisa Leslie, "Don't Let the Lipstick Fool You", p. 178 (paperback version)

Lisa Leslie of Sparks to Retire at End of Season

It was rumored, and now, it's official. The 2009 season will be the last season for Lisa Leslie. She will most likely retire as a 3-time WNBA MVP and the only WNBA player to score 6,000 points in a career.

Furthermore, she was one of the two players who tipped off the very first game played - on June 21, 1997. (Her tip-off opponent was Kym Hampton of the New York Liberty). She's been part of WNBA history since the league literally started.

Is this going to be a championship season for the Sparks? (Candace Parker is out with pregnancy, but Tina Thompson might be a new Sparks addition.) However the season turns out, I think it will all end in only one place for Leslie - the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tennessee. What a long way from Morningside High School.

Update: Lisa Leslie's ESPN chat today.

Lisa Leslie Coming to Atlanta?

...okay, it's not what it sounds like. Don't get your hopes up.

This isn't an Atlanta Dream thing but for Atlanta readers of the Dream Blog, this was posted at the Atlanta Dream Fan Message Board by "zelda 19".

- WBNA star and recent Olympic gold medalist Lisa Leslie will appear at Atlanta's feminist bookstore, Charis Books & More, on Thursday, October 30 at 7:30pm to discuss and sign copies of her book, Don't Let the Lipstick Fool You: The Making of a Champion. Leslie will be joined by her husband, Michael Lockwood, who will be discussing & signing his book, Women Have All the Power: Too Bad They Don't Know It.

While they are at Charis, the two authors will give brief readings from their books, take questions from the audience, and will then devote the majority of the evening to signing books for their fans. Books are available for purchase now at Charis Books and More and will also be available the night of the event. This event is free and open to the public. There will be limited seating available.

Here's info from the store website.

Iziane Castro Marques vs. the Los Angeles Sparks

This YouTube imbed was posted at Painel do Basquete Feminino, a Brazilian basketball blog.

Watch Izi shoot right over Lisa Leslie. It's butta.

Bouncing Baby Dunker

Congratulations to Candace Parker for throwing down above the rim in last night's Los Angeles Sparks victory over the Indiana Fever.

This is the second dunk in WNBA history, or third if you count the All-Star Game. It is also the first dunk by someone other than Lisa Leslie.

Dunks:

1. Lisa Leslie. July 30, 2002 versus the Miami Sol at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
2. Lisa Leslie. July 9, 2005 versus the Eastern Conference All-Stars at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
3. Candace Parker. June 22, 2008 versus the Indiana Fever at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.