Basketball Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie has accomplished a lot, but also encountered plenty of obstacles along the way. That made her an ideal choice as the keynote speaker at Sacramento State University's Student Academic Success Day. 

Leslie touched on many subjects, including growing up in Compton, developing as a basketball player and how she embraces her life now off the court. She even remembered learning from an early trip to Sacramento, when she missed the game-winning shot in her high school state championship game. 

"In life, we have a lot of failures," said Leslie. "A lot of times we see successful people, but we don't talk about the failures. We have plenty of failures. Times when we don't win. When things don't work out. When you don't have enough money to do what you want to do. I've been in that situation throughout my life. But this one situation with me missing that shot it was an opportunity for me to decide to get back up, to work harder." 

Leslie continued to talk about the importance of goal setting and writing those benchmarks down for yourself in the face of adversity. She enjoys speaking to students about issues like these because of the pinnacle moment they are at in their lives. 

Leslie implemented those principles of hard work and goal-setting on the way to becoming one of the greatest women's basketball players of all-time. She joined the WNBA in their inaugural 1997 season and went on to win three league MVP awards and two championships. 

Leslie was also an eight-time WNBA All-Star in 11 seasons. She was an ace defender as well, winning two Defensive Player of the Year awards, and was the first woman to dunk in a game. 

Leslie also won four Olympic gold medals. She was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. 

To inquire about the speaking fee and appearance cost for Lisa Leslie, contact the agents at Athlete Speakers by calling us at 800-916-6008 or by Starting Your Booking Request Now. 

Lisa Leslie Speaks at Sacramento State: