When State Farm approached Lisa Leslie to be the narrator for the "Covering Greatness" commercial, the women's basketball legend was in from the start.
Leslie is the narrator for the ad which features Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark and will air during Friday's NCAA tournament action. Leslie, a two-time WNBA champion and four-time Olympic gold medalist, considered it an honor to be the voice behind the montage.
"I just feel very proud as a former player to be able to support these women that are playing now," Leslie told Sporting News. "When I read the script, I was wondering whether they wanted it to be kind of soft or is it powerful, but when I saw the video it gives you chills because not only do you get to understand the magnitude of what Caitlin has been able to do, but also how the community has really impacted her."
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The State Farm ad "Covering Greatness" is set to "Unstoppable" by Sia, and it shows the highlight-reel plays that have Clark a women's basketball legend. The 6-foot guard leads the nation with 31.9 points per game and 8.9 assists per game. She has 3,771 career points, which surpassed marks set by Washington's Kelsey Plum (3,527) and Kansas' Lynette Woodard (3,649) on the women's side and LSU's Pete Maravich (3,667) on the men's side.
Iowa (29-4) opens tournament play in the Albany Region of the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at 3 p.m. on Saturday. The game will be televised on ABC.
MORE: Watch the 2024 NCAA Tournament with Sling TV
"What she's been able to do on the court – becoming the all-time scorer in women's basketball in the history of the game – that's something historical that we're able to see in our lifetime," Leslie said. "Her scoring is a phenomenon. It's a phenomenon because of her ability to shoot the ball from the logo. That we haven't seen from a lot of men or women."
Leslie saw this commercial as a "passing the torch” moment of sorts. Leslie won the Naismith Award at USC in 1994. Leslie was a star player on Team USA in the 1996 Summer Olympics, and she was one of the first superstar players of the WNBA. Yet Leslie is quick to acknowledge her predecessors – players such as Ann Meyers, Carol Blazejowski and Marianne Stanley.
"I never want to forget the history of women's basketball. That was our time," Leslie said. "We got the WNBA launched, and now it is these women's time. It's Caitlin Clark's time. We – as the veterans – are supportive and proud. Angel Reese has done an amazing job moving that needle. JuJu Watkins. There are so many names now that we can talk about.”
Clark is the most-talked about player among that group now – and that is sure to continue throughout the NCAA Tournament run. For Leslie, however, it goes well beyond that with the Iowa superstar.
MORE: Clark named SN Player of the Year | Women's All-America team
"The difference is that she has the personality, style and the charisma and she gets it," Leslie said. "I used to think about that when I played and the understanding that it is bigger than just me the athlete. I have a responsibility to be a role model, and I'm excited about that position. I feel like Caitlin is the same way. She knows she's impacting the next generation. She's aware of it, and she's open to it."
Watch the Caitlin Clark "Covering Greatness" State Farm commercial
State Farm's "Covering Greatness" commercial featuring Caitlin Clark will air Friday during NCAA Tournament coverage on CBS. It can be seen here:
Who is in the Caitlin Clark "Covering Greatness" State Farm commercial?
Iowa's Caitlin Clark is the centerpiece of the "Covering Greatness" State Farm commercial, which features a montage of her highlights on the basketball court and within the community. Lisa Leslie is the narrator for the commercial.
Clark's teammates at Iowa and coach Lisa Bluder are featured during the commercial along with her parents Brent Clark and Anne Nizzi-Clark.
MORE: Iowa's path to the national title
For Leslie, it was an easy decision to be the narrator.
"I had State Farm on my jersey when I played for the (Los Angeles) Sparks, so this is not anything new for State Farm to support women's basketball and put their money where their mouths are," Leslie said. "It came full circle for me just to have the opportunity and to pass this torch kind of in a way where you see Caitlin Clark – she's moving the needle for women's basketball but also for women's sports."