Former Mavs CEO Cynt Marshall got quite the surprise at a warehouse in Dallas on Friday. She arrived to find a statue of herself inside a 3D printer.

• "Oh my Gosh, this is crazy. Oh my God. That's me!" she said when she saw herself.

Why it matters: The statue is part of an exhibit that will debut at the World Cup's fan festival in June, featuring life-size figures of 26 women whose work intersects with sports and STEM.

State of play: The exhibit will expand on Lyda Hill Philanthropies' If/Then initiative — over 100 orange statues across the U.S. of women in STEM fields.

• The sports-themed statues, all lime green, include Olympian and Women's World Cup champion Julie Foudy, pro golfer Lucy Li and performance psychology specialist Colleen Hacker.
• Marshall and the other women posed for scans of themselves early in the process so Dallas-based prop company Shag Carpet could 3D print their likenesses.

How it works: Gel is cured by a UV light, creating hundreds of layers that form the 3D figure.

• The figures are printed in halves, then put together to form a full statue. Marshall's statue took around 15 hours to print.

What they're saying: Marshall tells Axios her statue is a full-circle moment that reminds her of her ninth grade algebra teacher, who inspired her to enjoy math and science.

• "You don't see all of the people who poured into me. But I know who they are, and now I get to be one of those to pour into somebody else," Marshall says.

What's next: The exhibit will be on display at the FIFA Fan Festival June 11-July 19. Entry is free.

• "I love the broader message that some little girl — and boy too — will look at all of us, all of these statues, and think, 'Wow, STEM is cool, and it's fun,'" Marshall says.

Cynt Marshall left the Mavericks in 2024 but remains a notable figure in Dallas' business community. Earlier this month, she joined Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson's delegation to New York to promote Y'all Street.

Driving the news: Marshall runs a leadership consulting firm and serves on the Dallas Regional Chamber's board of directors.

• She's also writing her second book, set to be published next year.

Driving the news: Axios asked Marshall about life lately and the future of sports in Dallas. Here's what she said...

Serving as the NBA's first Black female CEO

"I'm just blessed that Mark Cuban gave me an opportunity to be a part of the sports industry. He wasn't trying to make history — he was trying to make a difference for his people. We just happened to blaze some trails in the process."

The expansion of women's sports

"Women have been blazing trails, doing great things for years. Now the world has recognized it, and so we're getting our props. We're getting what we deserve."

The future of sports in Dallas

"The owners of the Mavs have a vision for an entertainment district in Dallas. We don't know where, but in Dallas. I'm excited about what sports is going to do economically for this community."

The possibility of the Mavs taking over downtown

"For right now, I'm staying out of those conversations ... I came from the San Francisco Bay area, so I grew up with a lot of great sports teams. I know what that means for a community. And some of those teams are not there anymore."

What's next on her bucket list

"To be the president of a college. I am so just motivated by young people and pouring into them the way people poured into me...That's probably the only call I could get where I would say, 'Yes, I'm all in.'"

🚨 Two people died in Saturday's storms that produced tornadoes in Wise and Parker counties. Hundreds of people were displaced. (DMN)

🕯️ Comedian and Dallas native Raj Sharma died Friday after repeatedly being hospitalized with various illnesses. He was 50. (WFAA)

🔦 Texas' annual sales tax break on emergency preparation supplies ends tonight. (NBC5)

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The Dallas Cowboys will start the 2026 season with extra momentum behind George Pickens' franchise tag and Brandon Aubrey's four-year extension.

Driving the news: The team picked up seven new players in this year's NFL draft.

State of play: Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, drafted 11th overall, was the Big Ten's defensive player of the year in 2025.

• The Hoschton, Ga., native posted a photo of himself in a field of bluebonnets before the draft began on Thursday. His brother, Josh Downs, plays for the Indianapolis Colts.
• "He was a prize for us sitting there ... didn't want to lose him," Jerry Jones said after the team swapped fifth-round picks to move up a spot in the first round and get Downs.
• The Cowboys' 2026 draft class also includes defensive end Malachi Lawrence, linebacker Jaishawn Barham and offensive tackle Drew Shelton.

Zoom out: The Houston Texans drafted Coppell native and former UNT offensive lineman Febechi Nwaiwu over the weekend.

• Emmitt Smith's son, E.J., went undrafted but the Kansas City Chiefs signed him as a free agent.

What's next: The Cowboys' training camp begins in July.