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The James Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is a step closer to adding to its esteemed roster of myriad basketball legends.
On Wednesday, three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker, Team USA’s 1996 women’s national team, Elena Delle Donne and Chamique Holdsclaw were among the premier names announced as finalists for the hoops hall, which will soon welcome many of the biggest names in the history of women’s basketball. Former NBA All-Stars Blake Griffin and Amar’e Stoudemire will also be finalists, with Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers also closer to the Hall.
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Parker, a two-time WNBA MVP, will forever remain a pre-eminent part of influencing women’s hoops. In 2008, after an esteemed career at the University of Tennessee, she immediately broke through in the pros by becoming the first (and only) player in league history to win MVP and Rookie of the Year honors. Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld are the only NBA players to do so. Parker, whose 16-year career ended in 2023, is ranked 10th in WNBA history in total points, third in rebounds, 11th in assists, fifth in blocks and 18th in career steals. She was named WNBA Finals MVP in 2016 after leading the Los Angeles Sparks to their fourth title in team history. In 2021, she led her hometown Chicago Sky to the franchise’s only WNBA championship.
Nicknamed the Women’s Dream Team, the 1996 Team USA women’s national squad remains one of the most dominant in the game’s history. It was led by several prominent names who are already individually enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame: Dawn Staley, Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo, Sheryl Swoopes, Teresa Edwards and Katrina McClain. The roster also included Jennifer Azzi, Ruthie Bolton, Venus Lacy, Nikki McCray, Carla McGhee and Katy Steding. Credited with aiding the launch of the WNBA, this team defeated opponents by an average of 28.6 points per game en route to gold medal honors.
Delle Donne, whose 10-year career ended in 2023, is the only player in WNBA history to win MVP honors with multiple franchises (2019 with Washington Mystics, 2015 with Chicago Sky). She steps closer to the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/candace-parker-doc-rivers-among-004606695.html
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Publish date : 2026-02-12 00:46:00
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