On Wednesday, three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker, 1996 U.S. Women’s National Team Elena Delle Donne and Chamique Holdsclaw were among the top names announced as finalists for the basketball hall, which will soon welcome many of the biggest names in women’s basketball history. Former NBA All-Stars Blake Griffin and Amar’e Stoudemire will also be finalists, and Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers is also closer to the Hall.
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A two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player, Parker will always remain a preeminent part of influencing women’s basketball. In 2008, after a prestigious career at the University of Tennessee, she immediately broke through into the professional world by becoming the first (and only) player in league history to win MVP and Rookie of the Year honors. Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld are the only NBA players to do so. Parker, whose 16-year career ended in 2023, ranks 10th in WNBA history in total points, third in rebounds, 11th in assists, fifth in blocks and 18th in career steals. She was named WNBA Finals MVP in 2016 after leading the Los Angeles Sparks to their fourth title in team history. In 2021, she led her hometown Chicago Sky to the franchise’s only WNBA championship.
Dubbed the Women’s Dream Team, the 1996 Team USA women’s national team remains one of the most dominant in the history of the game. It was led by several notable names already individually enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame: Dawn Staley, Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo, Sheryl Swoopes, Teresa Edwards and Katrina McClain. The list also included Jennifer Azzi, Ruthie Bolton, Venus Lacy, Nikki McCray, Carla McGhee and Katy Steding. This team is credited with helping launch the WNBA, and defeated its opponents by an average of 28.6 points per game on its way to the gold medal.
Delle Donne, whose 10-year career ended in 2023, is the only player in WNBA history to win the MVP award with multiple franchises (2019 with Washington Mystics, 2015 with Chicago Sky). She is approaching the hall thanks to her unique combination of shooting touch and basketball IQ, becoming the first player in WNBA history to join the prestigious 50-40-90 club (shooting at least 50 percent overall, 40 percent on 3-pointers and 90 percent on free throws over an entire season). Her career scoring average of 19.5 points per game ranks fifth-highest in WNBA history.
Holdsclaw earned WNBA Rookie of the Year honors in 1999 after averaging 16.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in her first season as a professional. She finished in the top 10 in MVP voting six times during her 11 WNBA seasons, during which she averaged 16.9 points and 7.6 rebounds. He peaked in 2003, averaging 20.5 points and 10.9 rebounds for the Washington Mystics. She finished her career with three All-WNBA selections and six All-Star nods and earned the league’s scoring title in 2002 while leading the league in rebounding twice. But those accomplishments were no surprise given her elite collegiate career at Tennessee, where she twice earned Naismith Player of the Year honors (1998-99) and led the Lady Volunteers to three titles.
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For the men’s side of this year’s finalist group, Rivers is one of seven coaches in NBA history to earn Coach of the Year honors in his first season with a team, doing so with the Orlando Magic in 1999-00. His 1,183 regular-season wins rank sixth in NBA history. In 2008, he led the largest single-season turnaround in NBA history when the Boston Celtics broke a 20-plus-year championship drought. In 2022, the NBA named Rivers one of the 15 greatest coaches in league history.
Griffin, who retired after the 2022-23 season, spent years as one of the most talented and athletic players in the NBA. He averaged 21.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in 765 career games, including a special run as the face of Lob City during arguably the most successful era in LA Clippers history. For the 2013–14 season, he finished third in MVP voting after averaging 24.3 points (the second-highest scoring average of his career), 9.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. His seven triple-doubles are tied for second most in Clippers history.
Like Griffin, Stoudemire’s athletic prowess and unparalleled offensive ability created a unique combination throughout a special career. He was instrumental in the Phoenix Suns’ resurgence led by two-time MVP Steve Nash and then-coach Mike D’Antoni, who joins Stoudemire as a Hall finalist. Stoudemire earned six All-Star selections and five All-NBA nods during his 14-year NBA career. In his prime, the 2002-03 Rookie of the Year averaged more than 25 points per game and was one of the most powerful dunkers in the league. He finished his career with averages of 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds in 846 games.
D’Antoni’s 253 regular-season wins with Phoenix rank third in franchise history. His career as coach of the Seven Seconds or Less Suns included two runs to the Western Conference finals. During D’Antoni’s four full seasons as coach (2004-05 to 2007-08), Phoenix ranked third in the NBA in winning percentage (.707) and total wins (232).
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There are 21 finalists in total this year. Others include Marques Johnson, Mark Few, Jerry Welsh, Dick Motta, Gary McKnight, Kelvin Sampson, Molly Bolin-Kazmer, Tal Brody, Joey Crawford and Kevin Johnson. New members will be announced in April. The dedication weekend is scheduled for later this year at Mohegan Sun Arena, beginning with a kickoff celebration and awards gala on August 14. The graduation ceremony will be held the next day at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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