Lisa Leslie’s place in Los Angeles basketball history now has a permanent address outside Crypto.com Arena. The Sparks icon was honored Sunday with a statue unveiling before a halftime ceremony, becoming the first WNBA player recognized with a statue at the downtown arena.
A Sparks career that set the standard
Leslie spent her entire WNBA career with the Los Angeles Sparks, playing from 1997 through 2009. Her run included three league MVP awards and the franchise’s consecutive championships in 2001 and 2002.
- Three-time WNBA Most Valuable Player.
- Los Angeles Sparks player from 1997 to 2009.
- Key figure on the Sparks’ 2001 and 2002 championship teams.
- First player to dunk in a WNBA game.
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
The statue adds another marker to a career that helped establish the Sparks as one of the league’s early powerhouse franchises and made Leslie one of the defining players of her era.
Leslie wanted the full picture in bronze
During the celebration, Leslie said she wanted the sculpture to show more than her competitiveness on the floor. She wanted it to reflect the confidence and personal style she carried throughout her career.
“I wanted the statue to capture the fearless competitor I was, still am and will always be,” Leslie said. “But I also wore ribbons and had my nails done. You cannot see that, but the polish is there, because I never wanted boys or men to think I was trying to be one of them.”
Los Angeles basketball names turn out
The unveiling drew a deep group of local basketball figures, spanning the WNBA, NBA and the city’s broader hoops community.
- Marianne Stanley
- Candace Parker
- Magic Johnson
- Byron Scott
- James Worthy
- Michael Cooper
With the statue now stationed outside Crypto.com Arena, Leslie joins the city’s most visible basketball landmarks while representing a first for the WNBA at the venue.
