Unhappy Leese Quits CSUN Women’s Basketball Team

Freshman reserve Joanna Leese became the second player to leave the Cal State Northridge women’s basketball team this season when she quit last week and dropped out of school, Tom Manning, assistant sports information director at Northridge, announced Friday.

Senior starting center Sandi Olson quit the team Dec. 8.

Leese cited problems with Coach Kim Chandler.

Leese returned to Northridge Dec. 26 after vacationing at her Edmonds, Wash., home. She did not play in either of Northridge’s next two home games, on Dec. 29 and Dec. 30.

Chandler told Leese on Dec. 31 that she would not accompany the team on a five-game, 11-day trip starting Jan. 2, said Leese’s mother, Dalene. Chandler expected Leese to remain at Northridge despite the school being on semester break, and the family was upset that Chandler failed to inform Leese before she returned from Washington, Dalene said.

“That was the final blow,” Dalene Leese said. “(Chandler) could have told her before Christmas.”

“I think (Chandler) thinks . . . my leaving was because of (a lack of) playing time,” Leese said. “Some of it was, but I’d try to talk to her about it and I couldn’t get a straight answer.”