A girl counted 14 statues and all were of men. She wrote a letter that made history

Gender inequality has been one of the top lingering issues in every field, including in sports. As compared to men, women are underrepresented in sports, often based on gender-based physicality and regional stereotypes. One six-year-old girl named Freya decided to question that mindset when she wrote a ferocious letter demanding to be answered why there were dozens of men's statues in the Crypto Arena and not one woman's statue. In a May 14, 2026, Instagram post, her mom, Cass Bugge (@cassbugge), posted how her rebellion stirred up the board to such an extent that they decided to carve a new statue dedicated to a female basketball player.

Discrepancy left unnoticed

Freya was visiting the stadium with her moms, Bugge and Molly, to watch a game of Los Angeles Sparks when she noticed this discrepancy. She noticed that while there were 14 male statues, there were no statues for girls. “Why are there no girl statues? It makes it feel like you only care about boys. Please write me back,” she innocently wrote in a letter to the Crypto Arena. At the bottom, she also drew a small table with two columns listing the number of statues for boys and girls, respectively. 14 to 0.

Power of an unbiased mind

In an interview with Click Clack, one of her moms said that they were genuinely confused by the lack of women being celebrated around the arena, women like Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker. Thanks to Freya, the board decided to honor the franchise icon and Hall of Fame, Lisa Leslie, with a statue in the iconic Star Plaza at Crypto.com Arena, according to the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)’s May 14 report.

The role model speaks

When Leslie heard this, she said, “To be cemented in Los Angeles, the city that raised me, I couldn’t be more proud to be a role model forever." Leslie becomes just the second player in league history to be honored with a statue by her franchise. The statue will be created by some of the renowned sculptors and artists. On Sunday, September 20, 2026, a ceremony will be conducted before the Sparks’ game against the Portland Fire, where the statue will be unveiled. 

'Women’s sports history deserves to be visible'

According to the Sports Journal, women are still highly undervalued in sports. Only 33% are hired in general manager positions within the WNBA. Besides, according to UNESCO, women receive only 4% of all sports news coverage. “Sometimes the people who notice inequity the fastest are the ones seeing the world for the first time,” Click Clack remarked in an update, “Women’s sports history deserves to be visible, permanent, and impossible to overlook.” 

'Outstanding move!'

People in the comments admired the little girl and her drive for women's equality. @kevgot said, "Amazing, already moving mountains! (I love the 'Statues' count box as well)." @suzannemejeanpinney suggested, "YES!!! Double down with a follow-up photo of Freya and Lisa in front of the statue when it’s up!"

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