Lisa Leslie Becomes First WNBA Player To Receive Statue

Former WNBA star Lisa Leslie is no stranger to accolades. The two-time WNBA champion with the Los Angeles Sparks, four-time Olympic gold medalist, and three-time league MVP who’s enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame is now celebrating a new one.

She will be the first professional female athlete to be immortalized with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena. She joins Lakers legends Kobe Bryant, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, coach Pat Riley, and broadcaster Chick Hearn, NHL stars Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille, Dustin Brown, and broadcaster Bob Miller, and boxer Oscar De La Hoya.

The ceremony will take place on Sept. 20 at Star Plaza outside the arena.

“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. “God has blessed me, and I have truly given my all to this sport and our community.

She added, “I am thankful to my coaches, teammates, incredible fans, and, most importantly, my family and friends. 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.”

The Los Angeles native spent her entire sports career in the city, from Inglewood’s Morningside High to USC to the Los Angeles Sparks. She played all twelve seasons in the WNBA for the Sparks, one of the league’s eight original teams.

While there, she won two championships in 2001 and 2002, becoming Finals MVP each time. She was also an eight-time All-Star and was twice the game’s MVP. She still leads the Sparks in major statistical categories, including points, rebounds, blocks, and games played. Leslie is also on record as the first woman to dunk in a WNBA game.

Leslie retired in 2009 and had her #9 jersey retired the next year. She was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.

Former Seattle Storm star and four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird is the only other WNBA player with a statue outside an arena. Her statue is outside the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.

Lakers great and fellow Hall of Famer Johnson says that he’s a fan of Leslie as a player and a person.

“Lisa’s legacy isn’t just measured by championships and accolades, though; it’s defined by the doors she opened and the standard she set for generations to come,” Johnson said in a statement. “More than an athlete, she is a pioneer, a cultural icon, and a force who elevated women’s basketball to new heights. 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.”

See social media congratulating the GOAT below.