It has been an “unreal” month for Charlisse Leger-Walker. It began by winning the NCAA championship – the pinnacle of US college basketball. Days later, she made history as the first Kiwi woman selected in the Women’s National Basketball Association draft. And when she stepped onto the court for Connecticut Sun, she became the second ever New Zealander to play in the league.
When the Weekly speaks to Charlisse, she is still settling into her new life in Connecticut. The 24-year-old is undeniably on cloud nine, but she knows this is only the beginning. While being named in the draft – the draw where WNBA teams select from the pool of new players entering the league – is a dream come true, it doesn’t guarantee a permanent spot on the squad.
“It’s kind of scary going in every day and not knowing where you stand,” she admits.
“But at the same time, it’s really exciting to get a chance to make a team and play in the best league in the world. It’s a whole lot of different emotions all at once.”
Given her lineage, Charlisse always aimed for greatness. Her mum, Leanne Walker, captained the Tall Ferns at the 2004 Olympics. Her father, Eliu Leger, 56, also represented the sport at a high level. So it’s no surprise that Charlisse and her sisters, Krystal, 28, and Tannika, 19, have inherited their passion for basketball.
A childhood shaped by basketball
From the moment she picked up a ball at the age of three, Charlisse’s world revolved around the sport. Training sessions and tournaments ruled her teen years. And when she made her debut with the Tall Ferns at the 2018 Commonwealth Games at 16, she became the youngest to ever play for the team.
But behind the success, she admits there were moments when she felt so burnt out that she didn’t know if she wanted to pursue basketball professionally.
“I still loved the game, but I was very overwhelmed by everything I was doing,” she explains.
“I was on five different teams and managing schoolwork. I thought, ‘This is what my life is going to be like if I continue down this pathway.’”
When the pressure started to build
The relentless pace continued when she landed a spot at Washington State University in the US. A shock injury during what should have been her final year of uni finally forced her to stop. At the start of 2024, with the WNBA draft looming, Charlisse began to crack under the weight of the looming decision.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself to have this amazing year and go into the draft feeling confident. And I actually played worse because I was overthinking things.”
But everything changed when she landed wrong while making a shot she’d done hundreds of times before, and tearing her ACL. While she initially shed a few tears, she soon realised it was a blessing in disguise. For the first time in a decade, the pressure was off.
Charlisse was eligible to extend her collegiate career for another season after missing a year of competition due to Covid, so she focused on recovery and enjoying life off the court. More importantly, the sportswoman rediscovered why she fell in love with it in the first place.
“I reframed how I viewed basketball,” she tells.
“Not necessarily as a job, but something that I enjoy and that has provided so much.”
A forced reset
While she is embracing every moment of this new adventure, Charlisse admits in the quiet moments – which are few and far between – there is a twinge of sadness. Every historic milestone takes her one step further away from her home and her beloved wha¯nau in New Zealand.
“I’m a big family person, so I miss them all the time,” she says.
“I try not to think about it too much because if I do, I get too emotional. But it’s also my new normal.”
Paving the way for others
Though she is proud to lead the charge in the WNBA, Charlisse is adamant she won’t be the last. As she reflects on her journey, one of the toughest challenges was the homesickness she felt when moving to the US at 19, saying if her sister Krystal hadn’t been at the same uni, she might not have lasted a year.
She set up her academy, Basketball Secrets, as a teen to teach skills to kids, but hopes to expand it to support athletes with the emotional challenges of living abroad. And, hopefully, she won’t be the only Kiwi WNBA star for long.
“So many kids come over to the States and leave after their first year,” Charlisse says.
“I want it to be an academy that prepares these athletes to go to university and succeed. It’s a way for me to give back.”
