LOS ANGELES — On Sept. 23, 2026, the Los Angeles Sparks honored franchise legend Lisa Leslie with a statue at Star Plaza, making her just the second WNBA player — after Sue Bird — to be permanently memorialized by her team.
“I’m right across from Kobe. I’m right by Magic. The people who have just poured into my life. I can’t say it enough. To be cemented here in Hollywood, but it’s also a lasting legacy that my ancestors would be proud of,” Leslie said.
The bronze statue features the Nike Total Air 9, Leslie’s signature shoe from 1998, and captures the defensive and scoring presence that made her one of the WNBA’s first true superstars. Her on-court honors include two WNBA championships, three Kia WNBA MVP awards, two WNBA Finals MVPs, two Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year awards, 12 All-WNBA selections (eight First Team) and eight WNBA All-Star appearances.
The Sparks’ tribute underscores a larger effort to enshrine women’s sports history in public spaces. Statues for female athletes remain rare, and Leslie joining Sue Bird as the only prior WNBA player to receive a franchise monument highlights both how far the league has come and what remains to be done in preserving its pioneers’ legacies.
Leslie’s remark that she is “right across from Kobe” and “right by Magic” framed the installation as an entry into Los Angeles’ broader sports pantheon. The statue is both a local landmark and a symbolic reminder of the WNBA’s growing cultural footprint.
More coverage will follow as the Sparks and Leslie continue to mark the reveal; the statue is expected to become a regular stop for fans and a lasting marker of Leslie’s influence on the game.
Congratulations, Lisa Leslie.
