Lisa Leslie honored with bronze statue at Crypto.com Arena

WNBA legend Lisa Leslie was honored with a bronze statue unveiled Sunday at Star Plaza outside the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The 11-foot statue, created by Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany, depicts Leslie performing her historic signature dunk, which was the first in WNBA history.

Leslie, who played her entire 12-year career with the Los Angeles Sparks from 1997 to 2009, is the first Sparks player to receive such an honor. She becomes the 16th person to have a statue in the plaza, joining Los Angeles sports icons such as Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. She is also the second WNBA player to receive a statue outside a U.S. professional basketball arena.

The unveiling ceremony featured appearances by basketball figures including Magic Johnson, Candace Parker, and Michael Cooper. Following the tribute, the Sparks celebrated with a 105-84 victory over the Portland Fire.