ESPN Women's Basketball Blog

Posted by Mechelle Voepel

This will be sort of like another "senior night" for Lisa Leslie. Fifteen years ago she had one at Southern Cal, where she played collegiately from 1990-94. Now it will happen at the Staples Center on Friday as the Los Angeles Sparks play their final regular-season home game.

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Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

After missing 11 games with a right knee injury, Lisa Leslie has averaged 15.9 points and 6.9 rebounds in 21 appearances.

It won't be the last time she plays there, as the Sparks will have at least one playoff game at home. But this is Leslie's official "farewell" game, a chance for L.A. fans to say goodbye to one of the best players in the history of the game.

There are so many accolades you could leave several of them out and the list would still be impressive. Leslie is a four-time Olympic gold medalist, and widely regarded as the all-time MVP for USA Basketball on the women's side.

She has been part of two WNBA championship teams, won three MVP awards and played in seven All-Star Games.

And this season, Leslie missed 11 games with a right knee injury. But once she came back, she clicked with Candace Parker to get the Sparks back into the playoffs. In 21 games, Leslie has averaged 15.9 points and 6.9 rebounds.

L.A.'s chances of making the playoffs did not look good at all earlier this summer. The 2009 Sparks seemed like a really good idea that somehow went wrong. But then … the pieces started coming together. Parker fairly quickly regained her form after her maternity leave. And Leslie has had a lot of terrific games in the past month.

This Leslie celebration game can't be just a big party, of course, because there is still a lot at stake. The visiting Minnesota Lynx are trying to earn the final spot in the playoffs, plus the Sparks want to nail down third place in the West.

But even if nothing were on the line, I doubt Leslie would give anything less than full effort. She never does that.

There's a feature on the Sparks' Web site that asks fans to submit their favorite Lisa Leslie memory. While not a "fan," I've watched Leslie for 19 years now. At first, I was not sure of just one memory that stood out to me. Mostly because what has really defined her is relentless, consistent excellence.

But then it came to me that if I had to pick, it would be two games, both from the World Championship. Combined, they are my quintessential Lisa Leslie memory.

The United States was playing Russia for the gold medal in the 1998 World Championship, which was held in Germany. The Americans had clobbered Russia 96-60 in pool play. But in the final, things were dramatically different.

The U.S. women were down by nine points at halftime, and they struggled in the second half, too. Russia led 61-60 with less than two minutes remaining. Ruthie Bolton's dramatic 3-pointer put Team USA up 63-61. Russia tied it, then Bolton hit another 3. Russia scored again.

Then, with Team USA clinging to a one-point lead with about half a minute left, Leslie hit a turnaround jumper that was just so clutch. It was the kind of shot that showed the touch and athleticism that set her apart as a big woman who could do so much more than park on the low block. The Americans ended up with a 71-65 win and the gold medal.

Then, four years later at the World Championship in China, it was a similar situation: The Americans had blown out Russia in pool play 89-55, but the Russians were making the final too close for comfort.

A Russian fourth-quarter rally had cut Team USA's lead to one point with 3½ minutes left. But ultimately, Russia could not beat Leslie. Again, she hit a key jumper in the final minute of the game. Team USA won 79-74 and got another gold.

Certainly, the Olympics are more what everyone remembers in international play. But the World Championship gold is precious, too, and those two games have stayed with me. Because in both, there was a sense that Leslie simply would not let the United States lose.

Players such as Bolton, Sheryl Swoopes and Katie Smith all made big plays late in those games, too. But I think they would tell you that Leslie, who led the Americans in scoring in both those World Championship tournaments, was like a wall that Russia just could not scale.

In the 2006 World Championship, Russia did beat the United States -- a semifinal victory that relegated the Americans to the bronze-medal game. But … guess who wasn't there?

Leslie, whose uncle had been seriously injured in an auto accident, did not play in that World Championship, instead staying home to help her family.

Would the United States have lost that game if she had been there? Remember, 2006 was Leslie's last MVP season in the WNBA. Obviously, it's kind of pointless speculation to suggest Team USA would have won with her.

But when it comes to Leslie, I really don't mind speculating. Yeah, I think she would have somehow found a way to thwart Russia again. That's just the kind of player she has been.