Phoenix, Apr. 4, 2026 — WNBA greats Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne will enter the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this August alongside the 1996 U.S. Olympic women’s team, the Hall announced Friday at the Women’s Final Four.
Parker called the upcoming enshrinement “truly special,” noting that she once idolized Hall of Famer Chamique Holdsclaw and the 1996 Olympic squad that ignited a run of eight straight gold medals and jump-started the WNBA. “I am so happy for Chamique … she deserves her flowers,” Parker told The Associated Press.
The 2026 class also features former NBA forward Amar’e Stoudemire, coaches Mike D’Antoni, Doc Rivers and Mark Few, and longtime referee Joey Crawford.
WNBA legends recognized
Parker, the only player to capture WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season, won league titles with Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas. Her résumé also includes two NCAA championships at Tennessee under Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt, two Olympic gold medals and two WNBA MVP awards.
Delle Donne, a two-time WNBA MVP, guided the Washington Mystics to their first championship in 2019 while becoming the league’s first 50-40-90 shooter.
Holdsclaw, a three-time NCAA champion at Tennessee and an 11-year WNBA veteran, joins the 1996 Olympic team in the class. She recalled keeping posters of Olympians Lisa Leslie, Dawn Staley and Teresa Edwards on her bedroom wall in New York.
Men’s basketball honorees
Stoudemire, the NBA’s 2003 Rookie of the Year and a six-time All-Star, spent his first eight seasons with the Phoenix Suns under D’Antoni. “To get into the Hall shows the voters appreciate it, and now we’re enshrined forever,” he said.
Rivers ranks eighth on the NBA’s career wins list with 1,180 victories and led the Boston Celtics to the 2008 championship. Few has amassed 773 wins at Gonzaga and reached the national title game in 2017 and 2021. Crawford refereed 2,561 regular-season NBA contests and 50 Finals games before retiring in 2016.
D’Antoni, twice named NBA Coach of the Year, is credited with pioneering the league’s modern up-tempo, perimeter-oriented offense.
The Class of 2026 will be enshrined in Springfield, Massachusetts, in August.
Source: ESPN
