Nine basketball legends will receive the sport’s highest honor when the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame welcomes its 2026 class, officials announced Saturday.
Among the distinguished group are two active head coaches and three former WNBA stars, along with the complete 1996 U.S. women’s Olympic team that captured gold in Atlanta under coach Tara VanDerveer.
The North American Committee chose Gonzaga’s Mark Few and Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers for their coaching achievements. Former NBA star Amar’e Stoudemire, who earned six All-Star selections, also made the cut, alongside longtime NBA official Joey Crawford, who worked 39 seasons in the league.
The Women’s Committee honored the entire 1996 Olympic squad while also selecting three individual players: Elena Delle Donne, a two-time WNBA MVP; Chamique Holdsclaw, a six-time WNBA All-Star; and Candace Parker, who claimed two MVP awards and three WNBA championships.
Additionally, the Contributors Committee recognized Mike D’Antoni, who coached NBA teams for 16 seasons across stops in Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles, and Houston.
Few has led Gonzaga to an unprecedented 26 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching the championship game twice in 2017 and 2021. Since the 1999-2000 campaign, his Bulldogs have never won fewer than 23 games in a season.
With 1,191 career wins, Rivers sits sixth on the NBA’s all-time coaching victories list. He led Boston to the 2008 NBA championship during his 27-year coaching career. As a player, Rivers spent 13 seasons in the league, including eight years with Atlanta from 1983-91, and earned an All-Star selection in 1988.
During his 14-year playing career from 2002-16, Stoudemire made six All-Star teams while starring primarily with Phoenix in his first eight seasons. He captured Rookie of the Year honors in 2002-03 and finished with career averages of 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.
Crawford officiated 2,561 regular season NBA games, trailing only Dick Bavetta in league history. He also holds the record for playoff games officiated with 374 and worked 50 NBA Finals contests.
Parker claimed three WNBA titles with different franchises during her 16-season career from 2008-23, earning MVP honors in 2008 and 2013. The seven-time All-Star also won back-to-back college championships at Tennessee in 2007 and 2008, plus Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012.
Delle Donne earned WNBA MVP recognition in 2015 and 2019, leading Washington to the 2019 championship. She made seven All-Star appearances across 10 seasons split between Chicago from 2013-16 and Washington from 2017-19 and 2021-23.
The formal induction ceremony will take place August 14-15 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
