Like Dawn Staley, Cheryl Miller and Cynthia Cooper, Leslie has come to define excellence in women's basketball. A mainstay on USA Basketball teams since being named to the 1989 USA Junior World Championship Team as a high school senior, Leslie has been a member of nine USA Basketball gold medal winning teams, earning top honors at the 2004, 2000 and 1996 Olympic Games, 1999 U.S. Olympic Cup, 1998 and 2002 FIBA World Championships, 1994 Goodwill Games, 1993 COPABA World Championship Qualifying Tournament, 1992 R. William Jones Cup and 1991 World University Games.

Leslie closed out her third and possibly final Olympic competition ranking as the USA's all-time leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker after compiling 407 points, 185 rebounds and 25 blocked shots in the three Olympic Games. She has also posted double-digit scoring averages in every major international event she has competed and boasts USA Basketball career averages of 16.0 ppg. and 6.9 rpg.

During her 14 years with USA Basketball, Leslie has etched her name throughout the USA Basketball record books. On the World Championship stage, Leslie ranks first among all-time USA World Championship leaders in points (393) and rebounds (190) and ranks second in blocked shots (17).

Leslie was signed by the WNBA and assigned to the Los Angeles Sparks on Jan. 22, 1997. In her first seven years with the Sparks, Leslie helped the Sparks to a 151-69 overall record, including a 28-4 record in 2001, and a pair of WNBA titles.

En route to the 01 championship, Leslie averaged 22.3 ppg., 12.3 rpg., 4.4 bpg., and 3.0 apg. in the playoffs and recorded 35 points, 16 rebounds, seven blocked shots in the Sparks 93-62 victory over the Charlotte Sting in the final contest. Earning WNBA Most Valuable Player honors in 2001, Leslie capped the year with the 2001 WNBA Finals MVP award.

Leslie finished the 2002 season as one of only two players to average a double-double after posting averages of 16.9 ppg. and 10.4 rpg. in leading the Sparks to a 25-7 record and a first place finish in the Western Conference. She also hit a major milestone in 2002, becoming the first person to dunk in a WNBA game after doing so against Miami on July 30, 2002. Averaging 19.8 ppg. and 8.0 rpg. throughout the playoffs, Leslie again collected WNBA Finals MVP honors after leading the Sparks to their second straight title.

A five-time WNBA All-Star, Leslie earned 1999, 2001 and 2002 WNBA All-Star Game MVP accolades after helping the Western Conference to victories over the Eastern Conference. Additionally, Leslie has been named to the All-WNBA first team (1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003) or All-WNBA second team (1998, 1999) in each of the league's seasons.