Lisa Leslie became the first Los Angeles Sparks player to be honored with a bronze statue in Star Plaza outside Crypto.com Arena in a Sunday ceremony. The 11-foot statue, titled The First Lady, depicts her iconic dunk and rests on a 4½-foot base. Leslie, the first woman to dunk in a WNBA game, was joined by USC coach Marianne Stanley, Lakers legends Magic Johnson, Byron Scott, James Worthy, Michael Cooper, and former teammate Candace Parker.

She reflected on her journey from Compton to USC, her historic Nike contract, modeling deal with Wilhelmina, and 12-year WNBA career with three MVPs and two championships. Leslie emphasized the statue’s blend of strength and femininity and ferocity, saying she wanted little girls to see themselves in her. She noted her placement across from Kobe Bryant’s statue and expressed gratitude to the Bryant family.

The statue was sculpted by Omri Amrany and Julie Rotblatt Amrany, with Leslie working closely with them in Chicago to capture her grace and competitiveness. Cooper and Johnson shared anecdotes about her early dominance, including a dunk contest win at his camp.