Charlisse Leger-Walker
| No. 5 – UCLA Bruins | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Guard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Big Ten Conference | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 15 September 2001 Hamilton, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High school | St. Peter's Cambridge (Cambridge, New Zealand) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College |
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Charlisse Trinity Leger-Walker (born 15 September 2001) is a New Zealand college basketball player for the UCLA Bruins of the Big Ten Conference. She previously played for the Washington State Cougars.
College career
As a freshman at Washington State, Leger-Walker averaged 18.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. She was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and made the all-conference team.[1] In her sophomore season, Leger-Walker repeated as an All-Pac-12 selection, averaging 16.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.[2] On 11 December 2022, she scored a career-high 40 points in an 82–66 loss to Washington.[3] Leger-Walker led No. 7 seed Washington State to the 2023 Pac-12 tournament title, the first in program history, and was named most outstanding player.[4] She finished her junior season averaging 17.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, and earned All-Pac-12 honors.[5] On 23 November 2023, Leger-Walker became the second Washington State player to record a triple-double, with 11 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists in an 87–67 win over Maryland.[6] She missed the last 11 games of the season with a torn ACL. As a senior, she was named All-Pac-12 for a fourth time and averaged 13.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game.[7]
Leger-Walker transferred to UCLA for her fifth season of eligibility, granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8] On December 6, 2024, UCLA announced that Leger-Walker would redshirt the 2024–25 season to fully rehabilitate her ACL injury.[9]
National team career
Leger-Walker made her debut for the New Zealand women's national basketball team at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. At age 16, she became the youngest player to play for the senior national team. She averaged 11.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, helping New Zealand win the bronze medal.[10] Leger-Walker won a silver medal at the 2019 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup, the first medal by a New Zealand women's team at a FIBA world tournament, and was named to the all-tournament team.[11]
Personal life
Leger-Walker is of Samoan and Maori descent.[12] Her mother Leanne Walker, played for the New Zealand women's national basketball team; she competed in the Summer Olympics in 2000 and 2004. Leger-Walker's older sister, Krystal, played basketball for Northern Colorado and was her teammate at Washington State before turning professional.[13]
References
- ^ "Experienced Cougs Set for Another Big Season in 2021-22". Washington State Cougars. 8 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ Allen, Jim (24 October 2024). "Washington State guard Charlisse Leger-Walker named to All-Pac-12 preseason team". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "Leger-Walker scores 40 points in a loss at Washington". Washington State Cougars. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "Charlisse Leger-Walker voted Most Outstanding Player of 2023 Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament". Washington State Cougars. 7 March 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ Cook, Dave (9 April 2023). "Washington State's Charlisse Leger-Walker represents her home country of New Zealand as rising collegiate basketball star". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "No. 23 Washington State women beat Maryland behind Charlisse Leger-Walker's triple-double". ESPN. Associated Press. 23 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ Lee, Greg (2 April 2024). "Washington State guard Charlisse Leger-Walker enters transfer portal". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ Sawyer, Haley (25 April 2024). "UCLA women's basketball lands Washington State transfer Charlisse Leger-Walker". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ "Charlisse Leger-Walker Out for Season". UCLA. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
- ^ "Charlisse Leger-Walker". Basketball New Zealand. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ "Charlisse Leger-Walker". UCLA Bruins. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ Stanley, Ashley (11 May 2020). "Leger-Walker assists little sister into US college life". Newsroom. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
- ^ Cook, Dave (17 March 2023). "How a grieving Charlisse Leger-Walker found strength in her WSU teammates to help the Cougars make it to the NCAA". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 9 November 2024.