Legends Enshrined: Parker, Delle Donne, Reeve Join Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame held its induction ceremony on Saturday in Knoxville, Tennessee, a city rich in basketball history where Candace Parker became a college star. Headlining the induction were two-time WNBA MVPs and Olympic gold medalists Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne, both of whom retired after the 2023 season. They are also slated for induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame in August. Joining them was Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, a prominent and highly successful figure in the WNBA.

Candace Parker, a beloved figure in Knoxville, famously led the Tennessee Lady Vols to back-to-back national championships in 2007 and 2008. She made history as the only rookie to win the WNBA MVP award in 2008 and went on to secure three WNBA titles with the Los Angeles Sparks (2016), her hometown Chicago Sky (2021), and the Las Vegas Aces (2023). During her emotional speech, Parker paid a touching tribute to her late coach at Tennessee, Pat Summitt, who passed away in 2016. Parker wore a specially designed suit, a modern rendition of one of Summitt's favorite sideline looks, describing it as a "tangible expression" that she was indeed watching and paying attention to her mentor's influence on her life.

Elena Delle Donne, whom Parker once hosted on a recruiting visit to Tennessee where a memorable Taco Bell stop occurred, also delivered a heartfelt address. Delle Donne, who led the Washington Mystics to the 2019 WNBA title, initially committed to UConn but ultimately chose to attend Delaware to remain close to her sister, Lizzie, who was born blind, deaf, and with cerebral palsy. Moved to tears during her Hall of Fame speech, Delle Donne spoke profoundly of her sister's impact, stating, "Although you can't hear me, I hope you can feel the impact you made on me... For the challenges most people couldn't begin to understand ... you've shown me that the hardest battles are met head-on without self-pity." She also garnered a loud laugh from the audience when she humorously suggested the warm reception in Knoxville might be partly because she famously left UConn after just 48 hours.

Cheryl Reeve, the highly successful coach of the Minnesota Lynx, was also honored for her exceptional career. Despite a demanding schedule that necessitated a 5 a.m. flight for a game the following day, Reeve underscored the immense value of the induction ceremony. With 378 regular-season wins, she is just two victories shy of breaking the league record for a head coach and already holds the record for combined regular-season and playoff wins with 430. Reeve has guided the Lynx to an impressive four WNBA titles and led the U.S. Olympic team to a gold medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021. In her acceptance speech at the Tennessee Theater, Reeve recounted her humble beginnings in the WNBA, accepting her first assistant coaching job with the Charlotte Sting in 2001 for a mere $5,000. She candidly shared experiences of teams folding, collecting unemployment, and her father's recurring question about when she would get a "real job," expressing immense joy that she never did and found a profoundly fulfilling life in basketball. Three of her former Lynx players, Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus, and Taj McWilliams-Franklin, all of whom are also Hall of Famers, were present to celebrate her achievement.

Both Parker and Delle Donne acknowledged Reeve as an opposing coach who consistently pushed them to improve their game. They also lauded each other, admitting they closely followed each other's performances and constantly sought ways to gain an advantage when they competed. Delle Donne specifically credited Parker for inspiring her to develop her passing game, stating she wouldn't have won a championship without the challenging experience of playing against Candace.

The ceremony also celebrated the induction of two other former WNBA players: Amaya Valdemoro of Spain and Isabelle Fijalkowski of France, whose daughter, 6-foot-7 Alicia Tournebize, currently plays for South Carolina's women's basketball team. Further inductees included ESPN broadcaster Doris Burke, Kirkwood (Iowa) Community College coach Kim Muhl, and posthumously, former Clemson star Barbara Kennedy-Dixon.