Parker calls HOF enshrinement 'truly special'
Why it matters: The 2026 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class recognizes players who collectively shaped the WNBA and women's basketball.
- Candace Parker will be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, celebrating a career that includes three WNBA titles, two Olympic gold medals, and being the only player to win MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season.
- Chamique Holdsclaw joins Parker in the Hall of Fame, having won three consecutive NCAA titles with Tennessee (1996-1998) and admiring the 1996 U.S. Olympic team that inspired her.
- Elena Delle Donne is also part of the 2026 Hall of Fame class, recognized for two WNBA MVP awards and leading the Washington Mystics to a championship while achieving the rare 50-40-90 shooting club.
- The 1996 U.S. Olympic women's basketball team, which included players like Lisa Leslie and Dawn Staley, is credited by coach Tara VanDerveer and others for generating the interest that led to the creation of the WNBA and the ABL, fundamentally shaping women's basketball.
- Pat Summitt, the late Hall of Fame coach for Tennessee, is remembered fondly by both Parker and Holdsclaw, who believe she would be immensely proud of their enshrinement.
Basketball legends Candace Parker and Chamique Holdsclaw, along with Elena Delle Donne, are set for enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, a moment Parker calls "truly special" and a recognition of those who paved the way. Both Parker and Holdsclaw expressed deep admiration for the 1996 U.S. Olympic women's basketball team, whose impact, as coach Tara VanDerveer notes, was foundational in establishing the WNBA and the current women's basketball landscape.
