SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) 鈥� Elena Delle Donne and Candace Parker’s WNBA careers were intertwined with so many great moments.
Now they are forever bonded, enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Saturday night. They were joined by the 1996 U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team, Chamique Holdsclaw, NBA player Amar鈥檈 Stoudemire, longtime , NBA coaches and Mike D鈥橝ntoni, and Gonzaga coach Mark Few.
Delle Donne turned her speech into a love letter to the game of basketball with all the ups and downs she faced in her career. But she always kept life in perspective, thanks to her older sister Lizzie, who is blind and deaf.
鈥淪he never played in front of thousands of people, never had a standing ovation. never been interviewed after a big win. Yet I鈥檝e never met anyone stronger,鈥� Delle Donne said, choking up. 鈥淭hank you all for keeping me going.鈥�
Delle Donne won MVP awards in 2015 and 2019, the second of which came when she led the Washington Mystics to their lone WNBA championship. Delle Donne became the first player in league history to shoot more than 50% from the field, 40% from behind the 3-point line and 90% from the free-throw line.
She started off her speech giving a shoutout to actor Larry David, who was in the audience. She told him that she hoped her speech was 鈥減retty, pretty, pretty good.鈥� using David’s signature line. Delle Donne was introduced to him before the ceremony by Rivers.
Holdsclaw thanked all of her former teammates and coaches in her acceptance speech. She was best known for helping Tennessee win three straight titles from 1996-98, the first team to accomplish that, under Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt.
Summitt died in 2016 following a battle with Alzheimer鈥檚.
鈥淥ne person that I wish was here as my presenter was my demanding and wonderfully supporting college coach, Pat Summitt,鈥� Holdsclaw said. 鈥淭he one and only. coach Summitt allowed me to grow as a player and person. I miss her dearly.鈥�
Holdsclaw鈥檚 1998 team was Tennessee鈥檚 first undefeated season at 39鈥�0 and the Lady Vols also set an NCAA record for the most wins in a season at that time. Holdsclaw went on to have an 11-year WNBA career.
She also thanked the 1996 Olympic team, saying she had posters of their players on her wall when she was in high school.
That team helped start the Americans鈥� 30-year Olympic dominance that has seen the U.S. win eight straight gold medals.
Few has been Gonzaga鈥檚 coach since 1999 and has led the team to the NCAA Tournament every year. He鈥檚 won numerous West Coast Conference championships and reached the NCAA title game twice.
鈥淲hat a crazy, surreal moment for me,鈥� Few said. 鈥淭he town I grew up in had a population of 1,500 people and had one stoplight. To be standing where I am today is absolutely mind boggling.鈥�
Crawford officiated more than 2,500 regular-season games in the NBA, nearly 400 more in the postseason and 50 of those were in the NBA Finals during his 39-year career. He said he first dreamed of officiating in the NBA when he was a teenager and did everything he could to make that possible.
D鈥橝ntoni really came into his own as a player and coach in Italy before he returned to the NBA. He developed a fast-paced style with the Phoenix Suns led by fellow inductee Stoudemire. The former coach thanked his wife, who he said was most excited about the 1996 team getting inducted.
鈥淵ou are one of the biggest supporters of women鈥檚 basketball,鈥� he said. 鈥淪omeone gifted her a Phoenix Mercury championship ring. She reminds me at least someone in our house got a ring.鈥�
___
AP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg contributed to this story.
___
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
