USA great Leslie goes into Naismith Hall of Fame

SPRINGFIELD (Olympics/FIBA Women's World Championship) - Lisa Leslie is one of the great players in basketball history.

Everyone has been reminded of that with the 42-year-old being elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Leslie now has an exclamation mark on her incredible career.

She had the sort of success that most players can only dream about.

Following a standout NCAA career at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Leslie shot to international fame by playing for the USA.

She talked about the importance of representing her country in an interview with FIBA shortly before the 2008 Olympics in China.

The high mark for Leslie was helping her country win the gold medal at the 1996 Olympics.

It was her first USA title, and it was captured on home soil.

In an interview with the Associated Press after discovering she would enter the Hall of Fame, Leslie reflected on the unforgettable experience.

"Playing in front of 35,000 fans cheering 'USA' really, really always warms my heart," she said.

"The first time they placed a gold medal around my neck.

"The other three were great as well, but I can't say how much that first time with that team meant to me.

"We're going on our 20-year anniversary next year."

Leslie became one of the biggest stars in the WNBA with the Los Angeles Sparks.

She led L.A. to WNBA championships in 2001 and 2002, and three times was the MVP of the league (2001, 2004 and 2006).

Among her many admirers are coaches all over the United States, including the country's national team boss Geno Auriemma.

There never had been a woman built like her who could do the things that she did - Auriemma

With the United States, Leslie was a force.

After that first gold-medal run in 1996, when she averaged more than 19.5 points and 7.2 rebounds, Leslie fired the USA to glory at the 1998 FIBA Women's World Championship in Berlin.

She would go on to win three more Olympic golds (2000, 2004 and 2008) with the USA, and another World Championship (2002).

Joining Leslie as part of the 2015 Class of Inductees into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame are: Kentucky coach John Calipari; one-time NBA champion Spencer Haywood; long-time referee Dick Bavetta; Boston Celtics great Jo Jo White and Boston Celtics coach Tom Heinsohn; four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo; former coach George Raveling; ex-Kentucky and ABA star Louis Dampier; Australian player and coach Lindsay Gaze; John Isaacs, an ex-player who will be inducted posthumously.

The induction ceremony will be held in September in Springfield, Massachusetts.

FIBA