Lisa Leslie remains a top choice for the All-WNBA First Team in fashion.

Lisa Leslie remains a top choice for the All-WNBA First Team in fashion.

      When Lisa Leslie joined the WNBA for its first season in 1997, the term "tunnel" held a different meaning. The initial eight teams accessed their games via basic technical tunnels beneath their arenas, but that was the extent of it. Nowadays, the WNBA tunnel has evolved into something much more significant and has greatly contributed to the league's expansion. The moments when Skylar Diggins arrives in Seattle in Off-White or when Paige Bueckers dons Coach in the tunnel carry weight. Even Sandy Brondello, the head coach of the New York Liberty, is dressed by Daniella Kallmeyer, and indeed, it matters. While what happens on the court is crucial, fashion in the WNBA plays an important role as well. This is why brands like Off-White, Coach, and Kallmeyer now collaborate with the league, bringing in their audiences and creating opportunities for players to gain recognition beyond basketball.

      Leslie recognized this dynamic early in her career. "If there was a tunnel walk [in the WNBA], I could probably think of about two or three players who would have been dressed to walk it," she remarked during my conversation with her at Café Kallmeyer in July during the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis. She noted that others would likely have asked how to avoid it. According to Leslie, having a platform like the tunnel to showcase herself would have ignited something within her. It would have felt like "being seen," she elaborated. Back then, people frequently asked her where she was headed when she dressed up for games and other WNBA events, never considering that looking good could correlate with playing well, a sentiment she recalled being popularized by football legend Deion Sanders. While this notion may have puzzled many within the league at the time, Leslie always understood the importance of a tunnel 'fit. "The contrast of playing basketball while transforming into beautiful clothes—it feels like heaven to me," she expressed.

      For Leslie, being solely recognized as a basketball player was never her aim. "I didn't want anyone to look at me and say, 'Oh, you're a basketball player, right?' That feels like low-hanging fruit," she explained. "You're putting me in a box." By opting for a suit and heels, she showcased another dimension of herself unrelated to the game she had played with boys since childhood.

      Leslie stated that being part of an all-boys basketball team during her youth taught her to express herself through fashion. "I didn’t want people to think there were 10 boys out there," she shared. She wanted viewers to see her uniqueness compared to her teammates. She requested her mother to get her ribbons after seeing girls' volleyball players wearing them and switched her shoelaces from standard to pink and yellow. "I wanted people to think, 'Oh, that's a girl. Wait, she just scored. She scored again,'" Leslie recalled. "That was the beginning for me—the realization that my image mattered."

      To refine her style, Leslie looked up to supermodels like Beverly Johnson and Naomi Campbell, both of whom were tall like her. "I loved the concept of being fashionable," she remarked. "However, I lacked the funds to be considered high-end." Instead, she sought ways to emulate Campbell and Johnson by shopping in the men's section, cuffing her jeans for a flair, tailoring oversized blazers, and pinning V-neck T-shirts at the waist. "It was always on my mind: How do I recreate the looks these women wore?" she explained. Leslie aspired for her off-court style to inspire others and to show her confidence, alongside her on-court toughness. It was her dream to merge these two worlds, something that may not have been possible during her time in the W, but definitely exists now, thanks in part to the foundation she established.

      "Basketball is what I do," she stated. "It's not who I am." This mindset allowed Leslie to position herself as an early influencer rather than just an athlete. "If I have the chance to collaborate with brands and secure a seat at the table, projecting beauty, strength, and talent, I see myself as a triple threat," she added. Leslie embodied all these qualities, and brands recognized her potential. Following her last game at the University of Southern California and prior to the 1996 Olympics, where she led her team in scoring against Brazil, she signed with Nike, a partnership that continues today.

      My opportunity to speak with Leslie came about due to Nike's collaboration with Kallmeyer during the WNBA All-Star weekend, an event designed to uplift and support women's basketball players. This partnership underscored the growing connection between fashion and women's sports, a relationship Leslie anticipated even before her professional career began. She emphasized the importance of continued support for athletes to freely express themselves in all settings and receive appropriate compensation for their efforts. "Women need

Lisa Leslie remains a top choice for the All-WNBA First Team in fashion. Lisa Leslie remains a top choice for the All-WNBA First Team in fashion. Lisa Leslie remains a top choice for the All-WNBA First Team in fashion.

Other articles

Lisa Leslie remains a top choice for the All-WNBA First Team in fashion.

I met with Lisa Leslie at Café Kallmeyer, an event organized by Kallmeyer and Nike during the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend.