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ramona shelburne
multiple authors
Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne, both former WNBA MVPs and champions, are among the finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 announced Wednesday.
Parker is the only player in WNBA history to win championships with three franchises (the los angeles sparks, chicago sky And Las Vegas Aces). One of the first true postseason basketball players, Parker was a unique player at every level – winning the dunk contest at the McDonald’s All American Game in high school, winning two national championships tennesseeTwo Olympic gold medals and two WNBA MVP awards.
She is still the only player in WNBA history to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season (2008).
Delle Donne is also a two-time league MVP (2015 and 2019), becoming the first WNBA player to shoot 50% from the field, 40% from 3, and 90% on free throws. he led it washington mystic In his first championship in 2019, cementing his legacy as one of the game’s greatest pure shooters.
two members of LA ClippersThe ”Lob City” era was also named as a finalist. Six-time All-Star Blake Griffin turned around the fortunes of the beleaguered franchise with an electric, high-flying style, inspired by his victory in the 2011 Slam Dunk Contest in which he jumped over a Kia automobile.
Griffin became a far more complete player in his 14 seasons in the league, finishing his career with over 14,000 points and 3,000 assists.
Doc Rivers, who coached several Lob City teams, was also selected as a finalist. Rivers, whose 1,114 (and consecutive) career coaching wins rank eighth on the all-time list, led the boston celtics To the NBA Championship in 2008. He is the current coach of milwaukee bucks.
A’Mare Stoudemire is a finalist again. Stoudemire averaged 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds in 846 career games over 14 seasons. surprise, new york, dallas And miamiThe first eight of which were for the Suns.
The 6-foot-10 forward/center was a six-time All-Star and All-NBA first-team selection in 2006–07, one half of a formidable pick-and-roll duo in Phoenix with point guard Steve Nash.
Stoudemire was also named the 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year after entering the league straight out of high school.
Other finalist players include Kevin Johnson, Buck Williams and Marques Johnson. There are official Joey Crawford finalists, as are Tal Brody, who helped shape Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball, and Mike D’Antoni, in the contributor category.
Coaches other than Rivers include gonzagaMark Few, houstonKelvin Sampson and the late Jerry Welsh, who coached Potsdam in New York to NCAA Division III titles in 1981 and 1986. He is joined by legendary high school basketball coach Gary McKnight and Dick Motta, one of the winningest coaches in NBA history.
The 1996 gold medal-winning U.S. women’s national team will also be considered for inclusion, as well as Jennifer Azzi, who was a member of the Atlanta Games team and is again a finalist as an individual. Joining her as finalists for the Women’s Committee is Chamique Holdsclaw.
Molly Bolin-Kazarm, the first player signed by the Women’s Professional Basketball League, is a returning finalist named by the Women’s Veterans Committee.
Former Serbian professional player and longtime coach Dusan Ivkovic, already a FIBA Hall of Famer, is once again a finalist from the international committee.
The final Class of 2026 will be announced during the NCAA Final Four weekend in April, with a formal enshrinement ceremony scheduled for August in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
