Four WNBA legends were inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame over the weekend, as the league celebrated Sylvia Fowles, Sue Bird, Cappie Pondexter and Alana Beard for their contributions to the sport.
“Game changers, history makers,” the WNBA posted on social media, honoring the Class of 2025. The four players combined for more than 30 All-Star selections, 11 WNBA championships, and numerous Olympic and international titles.
Sylvia Fowles, a two-time WNBA champion and four-time Olympic gold medalist, reflected on her career during an interview with Yahoo Sports' Cassandra Negley.
“I'm still in awe at my career that I had,” Fowles said. “You’re pretty much on autopilot (when you’re playing)… When I retired and had a chance to go back and see some of the things that I did, I'm still in awe of myself.”
Fowles said entering the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame felt different than her upcoming Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame induction.
Article Continues Below“The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame appreciates what you’ve done throughout your career as a whole,” she said. “As far as Naismith, I think that’s like top tier and harder to get in … to get in on the first ballot also says a lot.”
Sue Bird also received high praise, both from fans and former teammates. A four-time WNBA champion, Bird used her speech to highlight the influence of UConn coaches Geno Auriemma and Chris Dailey. She also acknowledged her place in the larger UConn legacy, becoming the seventh former Husky inducted into the Hall.
“You assisted me in ways that went far beyond X’s and O’s. You developed my character,” Bird said. “Coach Auriemma, you taught me that basketball is not a game of how to, it’s a game of when to, and that wisdom became my North Star both on and off court.”
Rounding out the 2025 class were Pondexter, a 2007 Finals MVP and two-time champion, and Beard, a four-time All-Star and two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. All four were honored Saturday in Knoxville, Tennessee.
