Wave Staff and Wire Reports
LOS ANGELES — A statue of Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member Lisa Leslie was unveiled outside Crypto.com Arena.
The statue created by sculptors/artists Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany depicts Leslie dunking an orange-and-white WNBA basketball into a basket, a feat she accomplished in 2002. She was the league’s first player to do so, five years after she missed a dunk attempt in its first game.
The Sparks, who Leslie played for her entire 12-season WNBA career, held a celebration of the statue unveiling during a 105-84 victory over the Portland Fire.
Leslie thanked fans for their support and recalled how she would interact with them in her speech at halftime.
“This game does not get to where we are today without all of you who have been here, sitting with us, riding with us,” Leslie said. “Every time I’ve been in this arena, I have never left this arena without signing autographs, taking pictures, and giving you guys my all. I left it out here on the floor because that’s what you deserve as fans.”
Leslie said she viewed every game as “a moment to change the mind of a man who was a hater. It was a chance to convince somebody who didn’t believe in women’s basketball. It was an opportunity to let a little girl believe that she could be me and my teammates out here because it’s all about love and hope.
“And at the end of the day, it’s more than a sport. It’s an opportunity to change people’s lives. It’s an opportunity to build community. It’s an opportunity to bring people together. So if you don’t remember anything about me, I thank God that I have a statue out there to remind you, but remember, it’s always been about love and basketball.”
Leslie is the 16th person and second female with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena. The other female is Gigi Bryant, killed along with her father Kobe Bryant in a 2020 helicopter crash.
Leslie played for the Sparks from their inaugural 1997 season through 2009, missing the 2007 season because she was pregnant. She was a three-time recipient of the league’s most valuable player award and led the Sparks to championships in 2001 and 2002.
During her WNBA career, she averaged 17.3 points per game, 9.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists. She led the league in rebounding three times and in shots blocked twice.
She was a two-time WNBA Defensive player of the Year and a two-time playoff MVP.
Leslie was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
She was born July 7, 1972 in Gardena and raised in Inglewood, attending since-closed Morningside High School. She first gained national attention in 1990 when she scored 101 points in the first half against South Torrance, tying Cheryl Miller’s national record for points in a game. South Torrance opted not to play the second half.
Leslie was a three-time All-American and four-time All-Pac-10 first teamer and the unanimous choice as the 1994 Naismith National Player of the Year at USC. As a freshman in 1991, she led the nation in scoring and rebounding while earning NCAA Freshman of the Year honors.
She also was a four-time Olympic gold medalist.
