Carla Leite
{{Short description|French basketball player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Carla Leite
| image =
| alt =
| number = 0
| team = Villeneuve d'Ascq
| position = Guard
| league = La Boulangère Wonderligue
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2004|4|16}}
| birth_place = Poissy, Yvelines, France
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 9
| weight_lb =
| high_school = Tony Parker Academy (France)
| college =
| draft_year = 2024
| draft_round = 1
| draft_pick = 9
| draft_team = Dallas Wings
| draft_league = WNBA
| career_start = 2022
| years1 = 2022–2024
| team1 = Tarbes
| years2 = 2024–present
| team2 = Villeneuve d'Ascq
| years3 = {{WNBA Year|2025}}–present
| team3 = Golden State Valkyries
| highlights =
- EuroCup Women champion (2025)
- EuroCup Women Finals MVP (2025)
| bbr =
}}
Carla Leite (born 16 April 2004) is a French professional basketball player for the Golden State Valkyries of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for Villeneuve d'Ascq of the La Boulangère Wonderligue. She was selected ninth overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2024 WNBA draft.
Early life
Leite was born on 16 April 2004.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wnba.com/draft/2024/prospects/183226/carla-leite|publisher=Women's National Basketball Association|title=Carla Leite}} She grew up in Poissy, Yvelines, and played several sports growing up, including association football and tennis.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/sport/basket/basket-lfb-carla-leite-letoile-montante-du-basket-francais-ea9e8072-5944-11ee-adb1-e294c8f9b9fa|newspaper=Ouest-France|language=French|trans-title=Basketball. LFB: Carla Leite, the rising star of French basketball|date=September 23, 2023|author=Baron, Maxim|title=Basket. LFB : Carla Leite, l’étoile montante du basket français}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenexthoops.com/features/from-france-to-the-wnba-carla-leite-emerges-as-a-2024-prospect/|website=The Next Hoops|title=From France to the WNBA: Carla Leite emerges as a 2024 prospect|date=December 20, 2023|author=Cruse, Hunter}} She first tried out basketball at age nine and said she "started to get serious" beginning at age 13. She started with the club ES Lorguaise and later moved to Draguignan UC, where she started with the U11 team but quickly moved up to the U13.{{Cite news|url=https://www.pressreader.com/france/var-matin-frejus-saint-raphael/20191230/282278142248738|via=PressReader.com|language=French|trans-title=A pure product of the Draguignan Union Club, Carla Leite joins the Tony Parker Academy|date=December 30, 2019|title=Pur produit du Draguignan Union Club, Carla Leite intègre la Tony Parker Academy|newspaper=Var-Matin|author=L., J.}} She moved an hour away from home at age 13 to join the club Pôle d'Antibes, and spent several seasons there.
Leite began attending Tony Parker Academy in 2019 while playing for the junior team of Lyon ASVEL.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bebasket.fr/portrait-qui-est-carla-leite-un-jeune-prodige-du-basket-francais|website=BeBasket.fr|title=Qui est Carla Leite, le talent brut de Tarbes Gespe Bigorre ?|trans-title=Who is Carla Leite, the raw talent of Tarbes Gespe Bigorre?|date=19 March 2023|author=Collé, Morgane|language=French}} She played three years for Lyon and began receiving attention after scoring 27 points in the finals of the 2022 U18 French Cup, in a close loss to USO Mondeville.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ffbb.com/coupe-de-france/le-triple-pour-mondeville|publisher=French Federation of Basketball|date=23 April 2023|title=Le triplé pour Mondeville|language=French|trans-title=The hat-trick for Mondeville|author=Guérineau, Julien}}
Professional career
=France=
Soon after her performance in the French Cup, Leite signed her first professional contract at age 18, with Tarbes in the Ligue Féminine de Basketball (LFB), the top women's league in France. In the 2022–23 season, she averaged 11.8 points and 2.9 assists per game and was named the league's best young player.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nicematin.com/basket/basket-ball-qui-est-la-varoise-carla-leite-elue-meilleure-jeune-de-la-lfb-avec-tarbes-855314|newspaper=Nice-Matin|title=Basket-ball: qui est la Varoise Carla Leite, élue meilleure jeune de la LFB avec Tarbes?|trans-title=Basketball: who is Varoise Carla Leite, elected best young person in the LFB with Tarbes?|date=17 June 2023|url-access=subscription|language=French}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.basketeurope.com/carla-leite-tarbes-elue-meilleure-jeune-de-la-saison-en-lfb-je-metais-fixee-lobjectif-de-gagner-ce-trophee/|website=BasketEurope.com|language=French|title=Carla Leite (Tarbes) élue meilleure jeune de la saison en LFB : " Je m'étais fixée l'objectif de gagner ce trophée "|date=2 May 2023|trans-title=Carla Leite (Tarbes) voted best young person of the season in LFB: “I set myself the goal of winning this trophy”|author=Perrot, Valentin}} In her second season with Tarbes, Leite averaged 15.8 points, 5.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds and was named to the league all-star team.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wfaa.com/article/sports/wnba/dallas-wings/dallas-wings-2024-wnba-draft-picks-first-round-jacy-sheldon-carla-leite/287-a12b4948-9f05-48e1-8c9b-8b029256096d|publisher=WFAA|title=Wings bolster backcourt, choose guards Jacy Sheldon and Carla Leite with Nos. 5 and 9 picks in WNBA Draft|date=April 15, 2024|author=Freedman, Pete}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ffbb.com/ligue-feminine/decouvrez-le-palmares-des-trophees-lfb-2024|publisher=French Federation of Basketball|date=11 April 2024|title=Découvrez le palmarès des Trophées LFB 2024|trans-title=Discover the winners of the 2024 LFB Trophies|language=French}}
In June 2024, Leite signed with Villeneuve d'Ascq.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-13 |title=Officiel : Carla Leite a signé à Villeneuve d'Ascq |url=https://www.basketeurope.com/officiel-carla-leite-a-signe-a-villeneuve-dascq/ |access-date=2024-10-02 |website=BasketEurope.com |language=fr}} She led the team to a championship in the 2024-25 EuroCup, being named the Finals MVP after averaging 20.5 points, 6.0 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game across the tie.{{Cite web |date=2025-04-02 |title=Leite lands EuroCup Women Finals MVP honor |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/eurocup-women-24-25/news/leite-lands-eurocup-women-finals-mvp-honor |access-date=2025-04-07 |website=www.fiba.basketball |language=en}}
=WNBA=
Leite was selected in the first round (ninth overall) of the 2024 WNBA draft by the Dallas Wings.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ladepeche.fr/2024/04/17/carla-leite-ce-sera-les-classes-a-dallas-11895784.php|newspaper=La Dépêche du Midi|language=French|title=Carla Leite, ce sera les classes à Dallas|date=17 April 2024|trans-title=Carla Leite, it will be classes in Dallas}} She chose to remain overseas for the 2024 season.{{Cite web|url=https://newschannel20.com/sports/content/kate-martin-one-of-four-second-round-wnba-draft-picks-to-make-opening-day-rosters|publisher=WICS|title=Kate Martin one of four second round WNBA draft picks to make opening day rosters|author=Feinberg, Doug|agency=Associated Press|date=May 14, 2024}}
On 6 December 2024, Leite was selected as the Golden State Valkyries' pick from the Wings' 2024 roster in the WNBA's expansion draft.{{cite news |first1=Cydney |last1=Henderson |first2=Ellen J. |last2=Horrow |title=WNBA expansion draft live updates: Golden State Valkyries pick their players for 2025 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/wnba/2024/12/06/wnba-expansion-draft-golden-state-valkyries-roster-updates/76809659007/ |work=USA Today |date=December 6, 2024 |access-date=December 6, 2024 |language=en}} She signed a rookie scale contract with the Valkyries on 21 February 2025.{{cite web |title=Carla Leite |url=https://www.wnba.com/players/transactions?transaction=&team=all&month=0 |website=WNBA |publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC |access-date=22 February 2025 |quote=Carla Leite signed a Rookie Scale Contract with the Golden State Valkyries.}}
International career
Leite first played internationally at the 2021 U17 3×3 European Cup She was selected for the 2022 FIBA U18 Women's European Championship but had to withdraw due to injury. She later competed at the 2023 FIBA U20 Women's European Championship, where she averaged 18.4 points and 4.3 assists while helping France win the title over Latvia, with Leite being named an all-star and the most valuable player of the tournament.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fiba.basketball/europe/u20women/2023/news/french-leader-leite-claims-mvp-crown-to-headline-all-star-five|publisher=FIBA|title=French leader Leite claims MVP crown to headline All-Star Five|date=6 August 2023}}
Leite was on an 18-player candidate list for the 2024 Paris Olympics,{{Cite web |date=2024-05-16 |title=Podium chasers France have plenty of star power in exciting squad list |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/womens-olympic-basketball-tournament-paris-2024/news/olympics-women-2024-news-podium-chasers-france-have-plenty-of-star-power-in-exciting-squad-list |access-date=2024-10-02 |website=www.fiba.basketball |language=en}} but she did not make the final 12-player roster.{{Cite web |title=Jeux Olympiques : La France avec l’ex-pivot tarbaise Malonga, sans Leite ni Foppossi |url=https://www.nrpyrenees.fr/2024/07/08/basket-ball-jo-la-france-avec-lex-pivot-tarbaise-malonga-sans-leite-ni-foppossi-12069209.php |access-date=2024-10-02 |website=nrpyrenees.fr |language=fr}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Golden State Valkyries current roster}}
{{2024 WNBA draft}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leite, Carla}}
Category:French women's basketball players
Category:French women's 3x3 basketball players
Category:Sportspeople from Poissy
Category:Tarbes Gespe Bigorre players
Category:Dallas Wings draft picks