On Thursday, October 30, the 2026 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Class was announced, comprising a star-studded line-up headed by former WNBA champion Candace Parker and two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne. Joining them is Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, a four-time WNBA champion and four-time WNBA Coach of the Year. ESPN broadcaster Doris Burke is also a part of the list.
In addition to that, international basketball stars like Isabelle Fijalkowski (of France) and Amaya Valdemoro (of Spain), and former Clemson standout and two-time All-American Barbara Kennedy-Dixon are also part of the class.
Candace Parker
After an illustrious career at the University of Tennessee, Parker with two back-to-back Wooden Awards in 2007 and 2008. Followed by that, she joined the WNBA and played for 16 seasons. She became a three-time champion, winning for different teams including the Los Angeles Sparks, Chicago Sky, and Las Vegas Aces.
Elena Delle Donne
With All-Star selections, two MVPs (with the Chicago Sky and the Washington Mystics), and a WNBA championship title in 2019 as part of the Washington Mystics, Elena Delle Donne currently serves as the 3×3 national team director of USA Basketball. Before achieving WNBA stardom, she joined the University of Delaware basketball team in 2009, where she averaged 26.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in the four years played. She also guided them to the Sweet 16 in 2013.
Doris Burke
Doris Burke is the first woman to serve the role of the NBA analyst on ESPN’s lead broadcast team, starting back in 2023. She has been a voice of the NBA for over three decades alongside play-by-play announcer Mike Breen and former NBA player Richard Jefferson, until in 2025 she was demoted by ESPN Executive Vice President Mike McQuade.
Cheryl Reeve
Cheryl Reeve, who played with the Minnesota Lynx for 16 seasons, led them to four WNBA titles. She was part of the U.S. women’s national team’s gold medal win at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The two-time WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year has been one of the established coaches in women’s basketball history. As a head coach for Minnesota, the team made a regular-season record of 364-190.
With such recognized names having a remarkable and established career, the 2026 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame class is a true epitome of global excellence, leadership, and legacy in women’s basketball.
