Lisa Willis, the daughter of Sandra and Robert, was born and raised in Long Beach, California. She is the youngest of five children. Her siblings are Bryant, Robin, Kevin and Stephanie.

High School
Lisa played basketball at Narbonne High School in Harbor City, California with team-mate Loree Moore and the Indiana Fever's Ebony Hoffman.

College
Lisa attended college at UCLA, where she graduated in 2006.

Lisa became the first Bruin player to record back-to-back 100 steals seasons. Her 70 made three-points shots tied her own school record mark for a season.

WNBA
Lisa was the 5th overall in the 2006 WNBA Draft, by the Los Angeles Sparks. She was traded to the New York Liberty halfway through the 2007 season.