Lisa Leslie Will Get a Statue at Crypto.com Arena. About Time the WNBA Got Its Moment
The Los Angeles Sparks are putting Lisa Leslie’s statue in Star Plaza at Crypto.com Arena. The franchise icon, three-time MVP, and Hall of Famer is finally getting the kind of permanent recognition that has been sitting in the building’s lobby for decades for the men’s side and almost nowhere for the women’s.
This matters more than the photos that will run with the unveiling. The Star Plaza at Crypto.com Arena has statues of Magic Johnson, Kareem, Shaq, Kobe, Jerry West, Oscar De La Hoya, and others. Leslie becomes the first WNBA player to join that group. That is not a small thing.
Leslie’s resume earned this twice over. She led the Sparks to back-to-back WNBA championships in 2001 and 2002. She was a three-time MVP, an eight-time All-Star, and a four-time Olympic gold medalist. She was the first player in the league to dunk in a game. She finished her career as one of the most decorated American basketball players, men or women, of her generation.
The statue is overdue. The Sparks have been one of the founding franchises of the league. They have been at Crypto.com Arena from the beginning. The story of women’s basketball in Los Angeles starts with Leslie, and the building that has hosted her best moments is now going to acknowledge that.
The timing also says something about the league. The WNBA is in the middle of its most visible era ever. The TV ratings are up. Franchise values are up. Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have brought a new generation of fans into the building. The Sparks announcing this now is not a coincidence. The league knows it has the platform and it is using it.
Sparks ownership has done other things this year to acknowledge the franchise’s history. They retired Tina Thompson’s number after her playing days were done. Candace Parker’s retirement ceremony last summer was one of the better tributes in league history. The Leslie statue is the capstone.
The unveiling is reportedly planned for later this season. The exact date has not been announced, but the team has signaled it will be a major event during a marquee Sparks home game. Expect a full ceremony, Leslie’s old teammates in attendance, and a national broadcast.
The bigger conversation is who comes next. The WNBA has a deep bench of players who deserve permanent recognition in the buildings their franchises play in. Sheryl Swoopes in Houston. Tamika Catchings in Indiana. Sue Bird in Seattle. Diana Taurasi in Phoenix. The Leslie statue creates a template that other franchises can follow, and they should.
For Leslie, this is one more honor at the top of an already crowded career. She is in the Naismith Hall of Fame. She has been a broadcaster, a coach, an executive, and a league ambassador. The statue is the version of the recognition that stays in place forever.
Crypto.com Arena will look slightly different the next time you walk in. There will be a new face in Star Plaza. It should have been there for years. It is going to be there now, and the Sparks deserve credit for finally putting it where it belongs.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
