Lisa Leslie to Receive Statue Outside Crypto.com Arena.

Lisa Leslie will become the latest sports legend honored with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena, with the unveiling ceremony scheduled for Sept. 20, the Los Angeles Sparks announced Thursday. The Hall of Famer will join a distinguished group of athletes and figures immortalized in Star Plaza, including Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal and Wayne Gretzky. Leslie, widely regarded as one of the most influential players in women’s basketball history, spent her entire 12-year WNBA career with the Sparks. During that span, she led the franchise to championships in 2001 and 2002 while collecting three league MVP awards, two Finals MVP honors and two Defensive Player of the Year awards. A four-time Olympic gold medalist and 12-time All-WNBA selection, Leslie remains the franchise’s all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks, field goals, free throws, games and minutes played. She also made league history as the first player to dunk in a WNBA game. “This is an incredible honor,” Leslie said in a statement released by the team. “To be recognized in the city where I grew up and played my entire professional career means everything to me.” Leslie starred collegiately at USC Trojans before becoming one of the foundational stars of the WNBA. Her No. 9 jersey was retired by the Sparks in 2010.

According to the organization, Leslie will become only the second WNBA player to receive a statue from her franchise, further cementing her legacy as one of the defining figures in the growth of women’s basketball. Johnson, a Sparks co-owner, praised Leslie’s impact on and off the court, calling her “a pioneer, a cultural icon and a force who elevated women’s basketball to new heights.”