Leslie did not just win the MVP award in 2001

While it was the Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Garnett who was featured on NBA2king the cover of the original Backyard Basketball, Leslie was featured in the game and you could play as her or Garnett.

Sheryl Swoopes as well as Cynthia Cooper, Houston Comets star players, were not present during the 2001 WNBA season. Cooper retired in the 2000 season being named MVP two times and four-time champion. She returned in 2003. Swoopes who was involved in those four championships, and was the league's MVP of the year, went off in 2001 due to a ruptured ACL. 

Leslie did not just win the MVP award in 2001, she was also named Finals MVP after helping the Sparks achieve their first championship in September. 1. Just one month later Backyard Basketball was released with her chosen as the only women's real-life player (Garnett was the only male player) instead of Cooper and Swoopes.

Cooper and Swoopes were thought of as the first real faces of the WNBA however it was Leslie who became the first player to represent the league for youngsters Backyard Basketball was geared towards and included me. Leslie was the very first WNBA athlete I had come across and also helped me enter women's basketball.

Since then, my interest in basketball grew slowly. After the 2004 national championships in men's and ladies basketball, UConn Huskies were featured on Buy MT 2K22 PS4 the cover of Sports Illustrated's magazine with Emeka Okafor.