Source:The Acorn of Agoura Hills, California: “Women’s sports pioneer Lisa Leslie is more than just the first female to dunk a basketball- she’s a star off the court with prolific dealings in fashion, business and broadcasting.
“Don’t Let the Lipstick Fool You, the Making of a Champion” is a new hardcover by Kensington Books that chronicles the life and career of the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) star, and it’s written by Agoura Hills resident and award-winning sportscaster Larry Burnett.
Stardom didn’t come easily for Lisa Leslie, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and undeniably one of the best female athletes of all time. She grew up in South Central Los Angeles with a mother who drove a truck and a father she barely knew.
Timid, awkward and over 6 feet tall by the time she was in the sixth grade, Leslie struggled as a child. She turned to the basketball court as an outlet, and once scored 101 points in the first half of a high school game.
Larry Burnett
But Leslie learned she could be a force off the court as well. The greatest college player of her time while at the University of Southern California- and a groundbreaking star in the women’s pro game- Leslie also became a highly-paid model and let her tall, attractive frame prove that size counts for women, too.”