PHOENIX — Basketball legends Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw, and the entire 1996 U.S. Olympic women’s basketball squad will receive their ultimate honor this summer when they’re inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The announcement took place during the women’s Final Four halftime show, with Parker, Holdsclaw, and several 1996 Olympic team members on hand to witness the moment. Also present were fellow inductees Amar’e Stoudemire and Mike D’Antoni.
Joining them in this year’s class are veteran NBA referee Joey Crawford, NBA coach Doc Rivers, and Gonzaga’s Mark Few.
Parker’s remarkable career includes WNBA championships with three different franchises — Los Angeles, Chicago, and Las Vegas. She holds the unique distinction of being the only WNBA player to capture both MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season.
Her trophy case also features two NCAA championships from her Tennessee days under legendary coach Pat Summitt, a pair of Olympic gold medals, and two WNBA MVP trophies.
Delle Donne earned league MVP recognition twice, in 2015 and 2019, with her second award coming during Washington’s championship season. She made history by becoming the first WNBA player to achieve the elite shooting milestone of 50% from the field, 40% from three-point range, and 90% from the free-throw line.
Holdsclaw led Tennessee to an unprecedented three consecutive championships from 1996-98. The 1998 title came during a perfect 39-0 campaign that established an NCAA record for most wins in a single season. She later enjoyed an 11-year professional career in the WNBA.
Stoudemire represents the NBA in this year’s class, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2003 and six All-Star selections. He spent his first eight seasons with Phoenix, where he played under D’Antoni’s system.
Rivers brings nearly 1,200 coaching victories to his Hall of Fame resume, ranking eighth all-time. He guided Boston to the 2008 NBA championship and later coached the Los Angeles Clippers during their exciting “Lob City” period.
Few has accumulated more than 770 wins during his tenure at Gonzaga, including an NCAA Division I record of 81 victories in his first three seasons leading the program.
Crawford worked 2,561 regular-season NBA games and 50 Finals contests across his 39-year officiating career before retiring in 2016.
The formal induction ceremony is scheduled for August at the Hall of Fame facility in Springfield, Massachusetts.
