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Leslie first female pro to dunk in game Posted: Wednesday July 31, 2002 12:24 AMUpdated: Wednesday July 31, 2002 11:12 PM
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Lisa Leslie became the first woman to dunk in a professional game Tuesday night, jamming on a breakaway in the first half of the Los Angeles Sparks' 82-73 loss to the Miami Sol. The 6-foot-5 center received an outlet pass from Latasha Byears, took two dribbles and dunked with one hand with 4:44 remaining before halftime. She smiled broadly and spread her arms wide as she raced back down the court. Leslie, who finished with 13 points and eight rebounds, dunked three times in practice during the recent All-Star weekend in Washington, but it had not been done in a game in the WNBA's six seasons.
The first woman to dunk in a college game was West Virginia's Georgeann Wells, who did it Dec. 21, 1984. North Carolina's Charlotte Smith dunked in 1994. Houston Comets rookie Michelle Snow dunked three times during her college career at Tennessee. Leslie was already the WNBA player of the week after she became the first person to reach 3,000 career points on July 22. The historic dunk was not enough for the Sparks to overcome the fine shooting by the Sol, led by Sheri Sam's 18 points. Betty Lennox added 17 points, and Sandy Brondello had 16 points for Miami (12-14), which stayed a half-game behind fourth-place Orlando in the race for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot. Mwadi Mabika scored 17 points for the Sparks (20-5), whose lead over second-place Houston in the Western Conference dwindled to one game.
Sam scored 11 points as Miami took a 19-8 lead. Los Angeles narrowed the deficit to 23-20 but Lennox scored all the points during an 8-0 run that extended the advantage to 31-20 with 7:56 left in the first half. The Sol held a 19-point advantage early in the second half before Los Angeles cut it to 75-70 with 1:50 to play. But Pollyanna Johns-Kimbrough made a lay-in, and Debbie Black converted two free throws to give Miami a 79-70 lead with 22.7 seconds left. The Sol scored 26 points off 18 Los Angeles turnovers.
Los Angeles guard Tamecka Dixon collided with Johns-Kimbrough
and was carried off the court with 24.2 seconds left.
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Sparks center Lisa Leslie recounts her dunk against the Miami Sol. 
