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Ramona Shelburne
Multiple Authors
Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne, both former WNBA MVPs and champions, are at the forefront of the finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026, which was revealed on Wednesday.
Parker stands out as the only player in WNBA history to clinch titles with three different teams (the Los Angeles Sparks, Chicago Sky, and Las Vegas Aces). A pioneer of positionless basketball, Parker made waves at every level— triumphing in the dunk contest at the McDonald’s All American Game in high school, securing two national championships at Tennessee, earning two Olympic Gold medals, and winning two WNBA MVP awards.
She remains the only player in WNBA history to achieve both Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in the same season (2008).
Delle Donne, a two-time league MVP (2015 and 2019), was the first WNBA player to maintain shooting percentages of 50% from the field, 40% from beyond the arc, and 90% from the free-throw line. She led the Washington Mystics to their inaugural championship in 2019, establishing her legacy as one of the finest pure shooters the sport has ever known.
Two notable figures from the LA Clippers’ “Lob City” era have also been recognized as finalists. Six-time All-Star Blake Griffin revitalized the struggling franchise with his exhilarating, high-flying play, highlighted by his victory in the 2011 slam dunk contest, where he famously jumped over a Kia automobile.
Over his 14 years in the league, Griffin evolved into a more well-rounded player, concluding his career with over 14,000 points and 3,000 assists.
Doc Rivers, who coached many of those Lob City squads, has also been named a finalist. Rivers, whose career coaching wins total 1,114 (and counting), ranks eighth on the all-time list and guided the Boston Celtics to an NBA championship in 2008. Currently, he is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.
A’mare Stoudemire has made the finalist list once more. Stoudemire recorded an average of 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds over 846 career games spanning 14 seasons with Phoenix, New York, Dallas, and Miami, with the first eight years dedicated to the Suns.
This 6-foot-10 forward/center was a six-time All-Star and an All-NBA first-team selection in 2006-07, forming a dominant pick-and-roll duo in Phoenix alongside point guard Steve Nash.
Stoudemire was also honored as the 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year, having entered the league directly from high school.
Other finalists include players Kevin Johnson, Buck Williams, and Marques Johnson. Official Joey Crawford is also a finalist, along with Tal Brody, who significantly impacted Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball, and Mike D’Antoni in the contributor category.
Other coaching figures, besides Rivers, consist of Gonzaga’s Mark Few, Houston’s Kelvin Sampson, and the late Jerry Welsh, who led Potsdam in New York to NCAA Division III championships in 1981 and 1986. They are joined by legendary high school coach Gary McKnight and Dick Motta, recognized as one of the most victorious coaches in NBA history.
The 1996 gold medal-winning U.S. women’s national team is also under consideration for induction, alongside Jennifer Azzi, a member of that Atlanta Games team and a repeated finalist. Chamique Holdsclaw joins her as a women’s committee finalist.
Molly Bolin-Kazmerm, the first player signed by the Women’s Professional Basketball League, returns as a finalist nominated by the women’s veterans committee.
Dušan Ivković, a former Serbian professional player and long-time coach, is once again a finalist from the international committee, already honored as a FIBA Hall of Famer.
The final Class of 2026 will be revealed during the NCAA Final Four weekend in April, with formal enshrinement ceremonies planned for August in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
