User blog comment:StrategicMagic/Leona - Wasted in Support/@comment-6301771-20130412154032

If your solution is to simply have a duo toplane, you've already encountered the problem of having someone build as a support going anywhere but bot lane: You are wasting your jungler to allow her to use her kit.

Leona has poor scalings but, in general, doesn't need much gold to get rolling. As someone who's played her immensely, basic support/tank items like Aegis and Shurelia's (which, for some reason supports are able to get without being top lane. Because Riot's smart about making specific support items.) go well on her. An especially good example is the notably inexpensive Locket of the Iron Solari. Health, armor, cooldown reduction and a team shield to go with her own potent defensive steroids.

While Leona can go top lane, it won't be to act as a hard counter to any snowballing champ and it won't be to turn it into a duo lane and waste your jungler. It'll be to hold it against a pusher. Any pusher that tries to rush Leona's lane to get to roaming will hit a brick wall as her plethora of CC stops them in their tracks under her tower, and her durability allows her to deny them any early game kills.