Morningside’s Leslie Battles for Spot on U.S. National Team

Morningside High senior Lisa Leslie survived as one of 13 finalists for the 12 spots on the U.S. women’s basketball national team during tryouts at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Leslie, the consensus 1990 national high school player of the year, will find out if she made the final cut June 19 after a two-game exhibition series in Cuba.

“Certainly, she’s very, very talented, especially for her age,” U.S. Coach Theresa Grentz said. “She was most deserving of the player of the year award. I thought she did very well at the trials.”

Naismith Award winner Jennifer Azzi of 1990 NCAA champion Stanford, former USC standout Cynthia Cooper and one-time Harlem Globetrotter Lynette Woodard are other notable players competing to make the team, which will travel to Malaysia July 9-22 for the World Championships and to Seattle July 28 to Aug. 5 for the Goodwill Games.

Thirty-six players were invited to the trials, and Leslie was the only uninvited player to advance as a finalist.

“I think for her to be where she is, as inexperienced as she is, is quite an accomplishment,” said Grentz, who also coaches Rutgers University. “I’ll give anybody credit for just showing up and making it this far.”

Grentz said that although she is impressed with Leslie’s skills--”especially her shot-blocking ability”--the 6-foot-5 center can be overmatched physically.

“She got banged around pretty good at the tryouts,” Grentz said. “The experience level is much higher than what she’s accustomed to.

“It’s a totally different ballgame at this level. Teams like Australia and Canada think nothing of knocking out a couple of teeth.”

Grentz wouldn’t comment on Leslie’s chances of surviving the final cut.

“I’m not in any way, shape or form ready to even name a starting lineup,” she said. “And I have to do that first.”

But she did say if Leslie makes the 1990 U.S. team, it could pay dividends for both Leslie and the national team.

“She will be, or should be, one of America’s key players,” Grentz said. “Whether it’s going to be on this team or not, I don’t know. But getting this type of experience is what she needs.”

Grentz said that playing good defense will be a top priority for the Americans and that post play will be a strength.

“Whether it’ll be Leslie, Maryland’s 6-3 Vicky Bullett or Georgia’s 6-2 Katrina McClain, we’ll have good play there,” she said.