WNBA Legends Parker, Delle Donne Enter Hall of Fame

Three generations of women's basketball excellence will share the spotlight when Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne, and the groundbreaking 1996 U.S. Olympic team enter the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame later this year.

Parker, who grew up idolizing that 1996 team, is thrilled to be honored alongside her childhood heroes. "I think we were all inspired by that," she told the Associated Press about the team that won gold in Atlanta and sparked a revolution in women's basketball.

The only player in WNBA history to win both MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season, Parker collected three championships with three different teams. She also won two college titles under legendary coach Pat Summitt at Tennessee and earned two Olympic gold medals during her remarkable career.

Fellow inductee Chamique Holdsclaw actually had pictures of the 1996 Olympic team members on her bedroom wall growing up in New York. "There's four or five players on that team who I have pictures of at my home," she said, naming icons like Lisa Leslie and Dawn Staley.

Holdsclaw made her own history at Tennessee, winning three straight titles from 1996 to 1998. One of those championships came during an undefeated 39-0 season.

Why This Inspires

The 1996 Olympic team did more than win gold. Their barnstorming tour across America before the Atlanta Games captivated fans nationwide and proved women's basketball could draw crowds and generate excitement.

That team's success launched both the WNBA and the defunct ABL, creating professional opportunities that didn't exist before. Coach Tara VanDerveer called them "the rocket that was the foundation for the women's basketball landscape now."

Delle Donne rounds out the class with her own impressive resume. She led the Washington Mystics to their only WNBA championship in 2019 and became the first player ever to shoot over 50% from the field, 40% from three-point range, and 90% from the free throw line in the same season.

The connection between these generations shows how progress builds on itself. The 1996 team created the league where Holdsclaw could star, inspiring young Parker and Delle Donne to dream bigger than ever before.

"I am so happy for Chamique and I am so happy that she is getting her flowers," Parker said. "It's truly special."

Parker knows Summitt, who coached both her and Holdsclaw to championships at Tennessee, would be beaming with pride. "She would be so proud right now," Holdsclaw said of their beloved coach.

The 2026 Hall of Fame class also includes NBA stars Amar'e Stoudemire, coaches Mike D'Antoni, Doc Rivers, and Mark Few, plus longtime referee Joey Crawford.

From that pioneering Olympic team to today's superstars, women's basketball keeps reaching new heights.