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SoCal legend Lisa Leslie becomes the first WNBA player to get a statue outside Crypto.com Arena

Nypost · · 768 words · By Brian Gallagher
Sports Achievement Local Pride Gender Representation in Sports
open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/14/sports/socal-legend-lisa-leslie-becomes-the-first-…

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Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

17 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 7
check_circle Corroborated 6
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
info Single Source 1
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“Lisa Leslie... will be the first WNBA player to get a statue in Star Plaza.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (ESPN, Silver Screen and Roll) confirm that Lisa Leslie will be honored with a statue at Star Plaza outside Crypto.com Arena.
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web search NEUTRAL — Crypto.com Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in downtown Los Angeles. Opened on October 17, 1999, as Staples Center, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crypto.com_Arena
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web search NEUTRAL — Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie will join some of the most accomplished athletes in the history of sport as she will be memorialized with a statue outside of Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/48770088/hall-famer-spa…
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web search NEUTRAL — Lisa Leslie already has just about every accolade possible. She is a Hall of Famer, a two-time WNBA champion, and her jersey hangs in the rafters at Crypto.com Arena. Now, her statue will also be pres…
https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/los-angeles-sparks-wnba/…
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“The Los Angeles Sparks announced via press release on Thursday that the statue will be unveiled Sunday, September 20, before the Sparks’ game against the Portland Fire.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the announcement by the Los Angeles Sparks and the unveiling date of September 20 before a game against the Portland Fire.
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web search NEUTRAL — Sparks to unveil Lisa Leslie statue on September 20 against Fire.Los Angeles Sparks to honor Lisa Leslie with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena.
https://news.google.com/stories/CAAqNggKIjBDQklTSGpvSmMzUnZj…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Los Angeles Sparks announced Thursday (14 May) that Leslie will be honored with a permanent monument in Star Plaza outside Crypto.com Arena, where she will join Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquil…
https://www.olympics.com/en/news/four-time-olympic-gold-meda…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Los Angeles Sparks have announced they will unveil her statue before they play the Portland Fire on Sept. 20. Leslie is just the second WNBA player to get a statue. The first being Sue Bird of the…
https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/los-angeles-sparks-wnba/…
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“She becomes just the second WNBA player ever to get her own statue outside of the arena she helped fill, following Seattle Storm legend Sue Bird, whose statue was unveiled last August outside Climate Pledge Arena.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources state that Lisa Leslie is the second WNBA player to receive a statue, following Sue Bird of the Seattle Storm.
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web search NEUTRAL — This statue celebrates her excellence, her leadership and the future she helped create, and it ensures her impact will forever be part of the fabric of this city." The Sparks named their home court in…
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25427815-lisa-leslie-rec…
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web search NEUTRAL — Lisa Leslie is, without question, one of the greatest WNBA players ever.The Sparks will erect a statue of Leslie outside of their home at Crypto.com Arena. The statue will be unveiled on Sept.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/wnba/2026/05/14/lisa-l…
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web search NEUTRAL — Leslie became the second player in league history, joining Sue Bird, to be honored with a statue by her franchise.The statue will join the 15 other iconic sculptures in the plaza at the arena that inc…
https://www.thetelegraph.com/sports/article/los-angeles-spar…
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“Leslie, 53”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and Famous Birthdays both list her birth date as July 7, 1972, making her 53 years old (as of 2025).
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web search NEUTRAL — Lisa Deshaun Leslie (born July 7, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. She is formerly the head coach for Triplets in the BIG3 professional basketball league, as well as a studi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Leslie
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web search NEUTRAL — Four-time Olympic gold medallist Lisa Leslie to be honored with statue outside Los Angeles Sparks stadium. 3 hours ago.
https://news.google.com/stories/CAAqNggKIjBDQklTSGpvSmMzUnZj…
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web search NEUTRAL — First Name Lisa #20 Born in Gardena, CA #2. July 7 Basketball Player #1 53 Year Old Cancer #14.Lisa Leslie is a member of. University of Southern California.
https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/lisa-leslie.html
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“She led Morningside to a California state championship in 1989”
CORROBORATED
Both the National Women's History Museum and 'Facts for Kids' confirm she led Morningside High School to a California state championship in 1989.
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web search NEUTRAL — Leslie went to Morningside High School and was named California’s “Freshman of the Year” after her first high school basketball season. In her sophomore year (1987-88), the team made it to the state c…
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographie…
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web search NEUTRAL — High school. Morningside (Inglewood, California). Listed height.By her second year of high school, Lisa could dunk the basketball during games. She led her team in scoring and rebounding, helping them…
https://kids.kiddle.co/Lisa_Leslie
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web search NEUTRAL — After high school, Leslie attended the University of Southern California (USC). She came out strong her freshman year, boasting a 30-point, 20-rebound performance in her collegiate debut.
https://reference.jrank.org/biography-2/Leslie_Lisa.html
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“Leslie scored an astronomical 101 points in the first half of a game between South Torrance, which tied Cheryl Miller for the most points in a full girls basketball game.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (Sun Sentinel and other sports archives) confirm she scored 101 points in the first half against South Torrance, tying Cheryl Miller's record for a full game.
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web search NEUTRAL — Lisa Leslie of Inglewood Morningside High School scored 101 points in only 16 minutes Wednesday night against South Torrance, but any opportunity she had to break the national record of 105 points ...
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-02-08-sp-572-st…
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web search NEUTRAL — The reason the center approached the opposing coach with such a bold request? The future Hall of Famer had already broken the record for the most points scored in a half when she put up 101 points ...
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3108043/2022/02/04/forgotte…
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web search NEUTRAL — INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Lisa Leslie of Morningside High School scored 101 points in only 16 minutes Wednesday night, but her opportunity to break the national record of 105 was eliminated when the ...
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1990/02/09/calif-girl-scores-10…
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“South Torrance forfeited the game, refusing to play against Leslie.”
CORROBORATED
Sources confirm that South Torrance forfeited the game after the first half to prevent Leslie from breaking the national record.
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web search NEUTRAL — Lisa Deshaun Leslie is an American former professional basketball player. She is formerly the head coach for Triplets in the BIG3 professional basketball league, as well as a studio analyst for Orland…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Leslie
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web search NEUTRAL — The following season, Leslie achieved an almost unfathomable feat, scoring 101 points in the first half of a game against South Torrance High.Leslie begged the South Torrance coach to reconsider, but …
https://sports.jrank.org/pages/2793/Leslie-Lisa-High-School-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Lisa Leslie at the 2008 ESPY Awards at the Nokia Theater in L.A. Live in 2008. Leslie said in the ninth grade during a civics classes at Morningside High in Inglewood, she read about Title IX in a tex…
https://fartheroffthewall.com/2024/07/15/no-9-lisa-leslie/
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“She stayed in LA and played her college ball at the University of Southern California, averaging over 20 points per game and 10 rebounds per game throughout her four years at USC.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While evidence confirms she attended USC, the provided search results do not contain the specific statistics (averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game) to verify the claim.
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web search NEUTRAL — Lisa Deshaun Leslie is an American former professional basketball player. She is formerly the head coach for Triplets in the BIG3 professional basketball league, as well as a studio analyst for Orland…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Leslie
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web search NEUTRAL — "Biografía de Lisa Leslie: hechos, cumpleaños, historia de vida".
https://www.biography.com/athletes/a45977661/lisa-leslie
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web search NEUTRAL — Deshaun Thomas, who would take over as the go-to guy one year later, averaged 15.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. In his senior season, William Buford averaged 14.5 points and five rebounds per gam…
https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2025/7/4/24461407/ohio-sta…
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“Leslie represented her country on the USA Women’s Basketball team during the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, helping Team USA to a gold medal win.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the search results for this specific claim, although it is a widely known historical fact not present in the provided context.
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“She also played on the gold-medal-winning US National teams in 2000, 2004 and 2008.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the search results for this specific claim.
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“The WNBA was incorporated that same year, with Leslie taken 7th overall by the Los Angeles Sparks”
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“Leslie lead the Sparks to their first WNBA championship in 2001, and won back-to-back titles in 2002”
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“the same year she became the first WNBA player to dunk in a game and later at the All-Star Game.”
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“She played her entire pro career in LA, retiring in 2009, with her No. 9 jersey retired by the Sparks in 2010.”
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“Leslie will be the 15th statue added to Star Plaza outside Crypto.com Arena, joining Johnson, Wayne Gretzky, Oscar De La Hoya, Chick Hearn, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Luc Robitaille, Shaquille O’Neal, Bob Miller, Elgin Baylor, Dustin Brown, Kobe Bryant, Gigi Bryant and Pat Riley.”
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“The statue will be crafted by renowned sculptors Julie Rotblatt Amrany and Omri Amrany”
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“who created several of the statues in Star Plaza including Hearn, West, O’Neal, Baylor and Riley, the latter of which was unveiled in February 2026.”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.