Lisa Leslie’s bronze statue captures historic dunk as WNBA legend delivers powerful message about women’s basketball Lisa Leslie’s legacy with the Los Angeles Sparks reached another chapter on Sunday as the WNBA legend was honored with a bronze statue outside Crypto.com Arena. The 11-foot monument captures Leslie’s 2002 dunk, the first in-game dunk in WNBA history. During the unveiling, Leslie spoke about what basketball meant beyond wins, records, and championships. She remembered playing in front of fans she hoped to inspire and said the sport gave her a chance to change minds and open doors. The ceremony marked a moment for a player who helped shape the WNBA from its beginning.
Lisa Leslie uses statue speech to remember why she played
Leslie used her speech to look back at the bigger purpose behind her career. She remembered a time when women’s basketball did not receive the same support or attention it gets today.“Everybody can’t afford to come and have a seat in here. Back then it was affordable. But I’ll tell you, I still was thankful because every opportunity I had was 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,” Leslie told the crowd.She continued by talking about the ability of sports to connect people.“It’s an opportunity to change people’s lives. It’s an opportunity to build community. And 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,” she added.Leslie spent all 12 of her WNBA seasons with the Sparks after joining the team for its first season in 1997. She won three WNBA MVP awards, two championships, and two Finals MVP awards. She also won four straight Olympic gold medals with Team USA.Her place in WNBA history was established long before Sunday’s ceremony. She became the first player to dunk in a WNBA game when she threw down a one-handed dunk on July 30, 2002, against the Miami Sol. The moment became one of the defining images of her career.
Leslie’s 11-foot statue captures her historic dunk
The statue was unveiled at Star Plaza before the Sparks played the Portland Fire on Sunday. The ceremony took place outside the arena before the 4 p.m. PT tip-off, while Leslie also addressed the crowd during halftime.The Sparks then gave Leslie another reason to celebrate, beating Portland 105-84. Nneka Ogwumike scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as Los Angeles took a 19-point lead into halftime. The victory came on the same day the franchise honored its most decorated player.Chicago-based sculptors Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany created the bronze statue. The artists have also worked on major sports monuments, including statues of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.The monument stands 11 feet tall on a 4.5-foot granite base and weighs 750 pounds. It shows Leslie in the middle of her famous 2002 dunk.Leslie was also closely involved in the details. The statue includes her ponytail, hair ribbons, earrings, polished fingernails, and red L’Oréal lipstick. Four pieces of real gold are also built into the statue to represent her four Olympic gold medals.The statue is called “The First Lady” and makes Leslie the 16th person honored with a statue at Star Plaza. She is the first Sparks player to receive one. She is also the second woman represented there, following Gigi Bryant.The honor gives Leslie a permanent place outside the arena where generations of fans can see her legacy. But her own words made clear what she wants people to remember most. For Leslie, the statue is not only about records or the dunk. It is about the young girls who watched her play and the belief that they could one day see themselves in the game.