Subscribe
Follow Us
Two-time WNBA champion Lisa Leslie will soon have a statue erected in her likeness outside of the Staples Center, according to a report from Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times.
Markazi reports that Leslie's statue will be the 11th in the famed Star Plaza and the first of its kind to honor a female athlete:
Lisa Leslie is going to get a statue outside of Staples Center. The Sparks and AEG will talk about the specifics soon but it will be the 11th in Star Plaza and the first honoring a female athlete. It will be the first statue of a WNBA player outside the home arena of a WNBA team. pic.twitter.com/nw7YdDh30u
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) September 5, 2019
Leslie, now 47 years of age, was not only a great WNBA player. Simply put, the Gardena, California native was one of the greatest athletes the basketball-loving world has ever known. She's a three-time WNBA MVP and a four-time Olympic gold medalist. And in July of 2002, she became the first woman to dunk in a WNBA game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7Fyfyt6Uz4
Article Continues Below
Further adding to Leslie's legacy, she led the Sparks to the playoffs in five consecutive seasons, winning in 2001 and 2002. She remains the team's career scoring and rebounding leader, as well as the all-time league leader in rebounds.
“We believe Lisa deserves a statue and plan to make that part of the lease renewal discussion with AEG which should take place in the next week or two,” Sparks managing partner Eric Holomon told the Los Angeles Times.
Leslie announced her retirement from the WNBA in 2009. She finished with league records for points (6,263) and rebounds (3,307). Nowadays, she serves as the head coach for the Triplets of the BIG3 League. Last Sunday, she led the team to its first championship, earning coach-of-the-year honors in the process.
In the end, it seems fitting that Leslie would have a statue outside of the arena she poured so much of her time and effort into.
