Lisa Leslie now has a permanent place on Star Plaza outside Crypto.com Arena, becoming the first female athlete honored with a statue at the downtown Los Angeles venue.
The 750-pound bronze sculpture, created by artists Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany, depicts Leslie throwing down the WNBA’s first in-game dunk during her historic 2002 championship season.
The tribute makes Leslie the 16th sports icon immortalized in bronze outside the arena, placing her among legends including Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal and Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
And when Leslie finally saw the finished sculpture, her first reaction was refreshingly simple.
“First of all, she’s cute,” Leslie said after seeing the statue for the first time. “I was so worried. I did not want to look like a linebacker up here. But she’s cute.”
The basketball legend also explained that she wanted the sculpture to capture both sides of her identity: the fierce competitor who dominated on the court and the femininity she carried with her throughout her career.
“I wanted to make sure that this statue was a perfect blend of fearlessness and the competitor that I was and I am, and I’ll always be,” Leslie said.
She pointed out that the statue also incorporates personal details, including her ribbons and polished nails—details she said were important because she never wanted her toughness on the court to erase her femininity.
For Leslie, the location carries an even deeper significance.
The former Los Angeles Sparks star acknowledged the Bryant family at the unveiling and reflected on being positioned near Kobe Bryant, whom she affectionately called her “baby brother.” She also noted that the statue places her close to Magic Johnson, another figure who had an impact on her life.
“I’m right across from Kobe. I’m right by Magic—the people who have just poured into my life,” Leslie said.
Leslie spent 12 seasons with the Sparks and built one of the most decorated careers in WNBA history. She won two WNBA championships, three league MVP awards and four Olympic gold medals, while earning eight All-WNBA First Team selections and two Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Her landmark moments included becoming the first player to dunk in a WNBA game in 2002 and the first to reach 6,000 career points. She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
Now, years after her playing career, Lisa Leslie has another first attached to her name—and this one is literally set in bronze.
