WNBA legend Lisa Leslie is now immortalized in bronze outside the building where she made women's basketball history. On Sunday, the LA Sparks unveiled a statue celebrating the icon at Star Plaza outside Crypto.com Arena.
She becomes just the second women's sports athlete among 16 athletes to be honored at the arena, landing beside Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Details Behind Lisa Leslie's Statue at Crypto Arena
The sculpture captures Leslie mid-dunk in a callback to 2002, when she threw down the WNBA's first-ever in-game dunk. Artists Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany designed the 11-foot figure dubbed "The First Lady."
Before Sunday, Gigi Bryant was the only women's sports athlete represented among the plaza's statues.
"I wanted to make sure that this statue was a perfect blend of fearlessness and the competitor that I was," Leslie said.
Leslie's run with the Sparks spanned 12 seasons. She won three MVP awards, two championships, and four Olympic gold medals along the way. She also remains the franchise's all-time leader in points, rebounds, and blocks.
The 54-year-old addressed fans during a halftime ceremony as her former team topped the Portland Fire 105-84. She made sure to call out the league's growth as her own legacy took the spotlight.
"I'm so proud of where the women's game is," Leslie said. "We have the support that I had always hoped for."
