Lisa Leslie Says Caitlin Clark Doesn't Need to Win the NCAA Tournament to 'Solidify' Her Legacy

Lisa Leslie; Caitlin Clark. PHOTO: 

For basketball legend Lisa Leslie, it was an “honor” to lend her voice to a new State Farm commercial about Caitlin Clark.

And no matter what happens in this year’s tournament, the Iowa star will always shine bright, Leslie tells PEOPLE.

“Her legacy is solidified. If they lost in the first round, you’d be like, ‘Oh, well,’ ” Leslie, 51, says. “I mean, she’s done so much for the game and she gives it her all.”

She adds, “Caitlin Clark. I mean, what can you say? I call her a game-changer. She’s one of those players that come along every 20 years, maybe, that just does something that’s never been seen. And she’s doing that.”

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) brings the ball up court during a Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament semi final game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Michigan Wolverines on March 9, 2024

Caitlin Clark. 

The three-time WNBA MVP has even higher praise for the phenom, calling her a “baller” of the first order who is as impressive off the court as she is when she’s draining her logo 3’s.

“I met Caitlin last year at the Final Four, and hopefully again, I’ll get a chance to see her,” Leslie says. “But she is everything that probably people on the outside looking in hope that she is, in terms of her kindness and the way that she carries herself as a role model.”

In the new commercial for State Farm, airing Friday on the first day of the NCAA women’s tournament, Leslie narrates the spot that highlights Clark’s accomplishments.

“What does it take to achieve greatness, to rewrite history and go places no athlete has ever gone?” Leslie asks in the ad.

For the four-time Olympian — who tells PEOPLE she hopes Clark will follow in her footsteps to Paris this summer — this year’s tournament, no matter the outcome, will be an exciting chance to witness the icon in action.

“Caitlin’s ability to shoot the ball is always a game-changer,” Leslie says. “It’s almost like when you think about Golden State Warriors and Steph Curry, they’re never out of it until it’s over because of their ability to score the ball and shoot that ball.”

And as far as Leslie is concerned, working on the commercial was just a chance to link her own greatness to the next generation.

“She’s just a phenomenal player who makes everybody around her better,” Leslie said. “And so again, it’s an honor for me to have my voice connected to her amazing work.”