Lisa Leslie gets statue unveiled in Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Sparks will unveil a statue honoring basketball legend Lisa Leslie outside Crypto.com Arena on Sunday during their game against the Portland Fire. Leslie, who played for the Sparks from 1997 to 2009, will be recognized during halftime. Fans entering the arena will receive a commemorative ticket that becomes interactive after scanning a QR code on the back; some tickets will even feature an autograph from Leslie.

Photo opportunities will be available on the concourse to celebrate Leslie. The statue, crafted by sculptors Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany, will be on public display starting the following Monday. Leslie, a three-time league MVP and two-time champion, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. She stated, "To be cemented in Los Angeles, the city that raised me, I couldn't be more proud to be a role model forever."

The Leslie statue will be the 16th person, and second female, to have a statue outside Crypto.com Arena, with Gigi Bryant being the first, who tragically passed away in 2020.