LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Sparks announced Wednesday that franchise icon Lisa Leslie will be honored with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena, cementing her place among the most celebrated sports figures in Los Angeles history.
The statue unveiling ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 20, before the Sparks host the Portland Fire.
“To be cemented in Los Angeles, the city that raised me, I couldn’t be more proud to be a role model forever!” Leslie said in a statement released by the Sparks. “God has blessed me and I have truly given my all to this sport and our community. I am thankful to my coaches, teammates, incredible fans, and, most importantly, my family and friends.”
Leslie becomes just the second player in WNBA history to receive a statue from her franchise and the first connected to the Sparks organization. The monument will stand in the arena’s iconic Star Plaza alongside statues honoring sports legends including Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Wayne Gretzky and Chick Hearn.
The statue will be created by renowned sculptors Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany, whose work has become synonymous with some of the most recognizable sports monuments in the country.
“I’ve known Lisa for nearly three decades and believe that she is beyond deserving of this incredible honor,” Johnson said. “She was the driving force behind bringing back-to-back championships to the Los Angeles Sparks franchise in 2000 and 2001, and Lisa’s hard work and commitment has made her one of the best to ever play the game.”
Johnson added that Leslie’s impact transcended basketball.
“More than an athlete, she is a pioneer, a cultural icon and a force who elevated women’s basketball to new heights,” he said. “This statue celebrates her excellence, her leadership and the future she helped create, and it ensures her impact will forever be part of the fabric of this city.”
Leslie, a three-time WNBA MVP and four-time Olympic gold medalist, spent her entire 12-year WNBA career with the Sparks after joining the franchise during the league’s inaugural 1997 season. She led the Sparks to consecutive WNBA championships in 2001 and 2002 and became one of the defining figures in women’s basketball history.
The eight-time WNBA All-Star remains the Sparks’ all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks, field goals, free throws, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, defensive win shares, minutes and games played. Her eight First Team All-WNBA selections rank second all-time.
Leslie also authored one of the most iconic moments in league history when she became the first player to dunk in a WNBA game, helping redefine perceptions of women’s basketball and ushering in a new era for the sport.
Her No. 9 jersey was retired by the Sparks in 2010.
The announcement also marks the culmination of an idea that had been discussed within Sparks and arena circles for years. Arash Markazi first reported in 2019 that the Sparks and then-Staples Center officials were exploring a statue honoring Leslie before the COVID-19 pandemic delayed those plans and transformed the sports landscape in Los Angeles.
In that 2019 column, Markazi wrote that Leslie “has always been the most logical choice to become the first female immortalized with a statue in front of Staples Center.” At the time, Sparks ownership and arena officials publicly expressed support for the idea, with Sparks managing partner Eric Holoman saying, “We believe Lisa deserves a statue.”
Now, nearly seven years later, that vision will become reality outside the arena now known as Crypto.com Arena.
Beyond her Hall of Fame playing career, Leslie has become one of the sport’s most influential ambassadors through broadcasting, business and mentorship roles while continuing to advocate for the growth of women’s basketball.
The Sparks said additional details regarding the unveiling ceremony, fan events and programming surrounding the statue dedication will be announced at a later date.