Los Angeles Sparks legend Lisa Leslie is set to join the pantheon of sports icons outside Crypto.com Arena, becoming the first Sparks player — and only the second WNBA player in history — to receive a statue from her franchise.
The unveiling ceremony is scheduled for September 20 in the arena’s Star Plaza, where Leslie’s likeness will stand alongside monuments to Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wayne Gretzky, among others.
A three-time WNBA MVP and four-time Olympic gold medalist, Leslie spent her entire 12-year career with the Sparks, leading the franchise to back-to-back championships in 2001 and 2002. She ranks No. 13 in league history in career points (6,263), No. 6 in rebounds (3,307), and No. 3 in blocks (822), and remains the Sparks’ all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks, field goals, free throws, minutes, and games played.
Born and raised in Compton, California, Leslie starred at USC before becoming one of the WNBA’s founding players in 1997. On July 30, 2002, she became the first woman to dunk the ball in a WNBA game — a watershed moment that permanently shifted perceptions of women’s basketball. On August 11, 2009, Leslie became the first player to score 6,000 points in a career. In 2015, she was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Leslie expressed deep gratitude for the honor. “To be cemented in Los Angeles, the city that raised me, I couldn’t be more proud to be a role model forever!” she said. “God has blessed me and I have truly given my all to this sport and our community. As the saying goes, ‘The wolf is only as strong as the pack,’ and I’ve been fortunate to have an amazing pack supporting me every step of the way.”
Magic Johnson echoed the sentiment.
“Lisa’s legacy isn’t just measured by championships and accolades,” Johnson said. “It’s defined by the doors she opened and the standard she set for generations to come.”
The statue will be created by renowned sculptors Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany. Leslie joins Seattle Storm great Sue Bird as the only WNBA players so honored by their respective franchises.
