After winning the MVP Award in the 2002 WNBA All-Star Game, she helped lead the Sparks to their second straight world championship, garnering WNBA Finals MVP honors. She returned to school in the 2002 off-season to work on a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.
On July 29 of 2004, she reached the milestone of 4,000 career points, scoring 17 points in an 85-80, double overtime victory over the Sacramento Monarchs. Later that year she won a gold medal winner with United States women's national basketball team in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games.
On June 23, 2006, Lisa Leslie scored her 5,000th career point and set an individual career high with 41 points versus the San Antonio Silver Stars. At the end of the season, she was named the WNBA MVP for the third time.
Leslie is also a fashion model and aspiring actress on the side. In June 1996, she signed a contract with the Wilhelmina modeling agency. She is one of five Olympic athletes featured in a Herb Ritts photo spread for Vogue magazine and has modeled designs by Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, Gigi Hunter and Anne Klein.
During the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament in 2005 Lisa worked on the air for ESPN adding key insight and commentary. She has done color commentary for several USC basketball games and has also been a guest correspondent on NBA Inside Stuff. She intends to continue broadcasting when her basketball career is over. She has also appeared in episodes of The Jersey and Sister, Sister, as well as various commercials. She also appeared on Hangtime, Moesha, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, One on One, The Weakest Link and Punk'd. She once appeared in an episode of The Simpsons, and was portrayed with an exaggerated, tall figure.
Along with her mom, Leslie is an advocate for breast cancer research. Leslie's mom, Christine Leslie-Espinoza, was once a cross-country truck driver. Leslie has stated that her mother is the person she admires the most. Leslie has two sisters and four half brothers.
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