Candace Parker has been chosen to be on the cover of NBA2K22, becoming the first women’s player to attain that honor. It was actually her Los Angeles Sparks teammate and mentor Lisa Leslie who paved the way for women to be featured in basketball video games. Before PlayStation 5, 4 and 3, back around when NBA2K2 was coming out, Leslie appeared in Humungous Entertainment’s Backyard Basketball (2001).
While it was the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Kevin Garnett who graced the cover of the original Backyard Basketball, Leslie was featured in the game and you could play as her and Garnett.
Houston Comets stars Cynthia Cooper and Sheryl Swoopes both missed the 2001 WNBA season. Cooper retired after the 2000 season, as a two-time MVP and four-time champion, before returning in 2003. Swoopes, who was also a part of those four championships and was the league’s reigning MVP, missed…
