Candace Parker is widely regarded as one of the best women’s basketball players of all time with three WNBA championships, two league MVPs, one Finals MVP, and seven All-Star selections to her name.
Add first-ballot Basketball Hall of Famer to the list.
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Parker was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026 during an induction ceremony at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts on Saturday, Aug. 15, alongside Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw, Doc Rivers, Amar’e Stoudemire, Mike D’Antoni, Mark Few, Joey Crawford and the 1996 USA Basketball Women’s National Team.
USA TODAY Sports provided live coverage of the Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday, including speeches, highlights and more. Catch up below:
More: From snubs to future locks: Early Basketball Hall of Fame candidates for 2027
Candace Parker recalls inspiration from Kobe Bryant
In her HOF speech, Candace Parker recalled a text message she received from the late Kobe Bryant ahead of Game 5 of the 2016 WNBA Finals against the Minnesota Lynx.
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“I wanted my story to be despite. Despite the 10 knee surgeries, one shoulder surgery, two foot surgeries, I still could and I did. Commercial flights, practice gyms at community college… The overseas grind in the off season. But through that, I learned from barely losing that winning was about attention to detail and the little things,” Parker said.
“Finally, in 2016, game five at Minnesota for the title, I get a text from Kobe. He says, ‘Do it the hard way. It’s always better that way. You can’t die with bullets in the chamber.’ I finally just had played that game like I was a kid again. I was free, not worried about the outcome. I really, in fact, just hooped. We won off an offensive rebound by Nneka Ogwumike. It turns out Pat (Summitt) was in fact right. Offensive rebounds do matter.”
Parker called her career a “full circle” moment, reveling in the fact that she “came in as a rookie with Lisa Leslie and her greatness” and “got to pass the torch to a GOAT in A’ja Wilson on my way out.”
Parker was joined on the stage by Tamika Catchings (’20), Allen Iverson (’16), Cheryl Miller (’95) and Dwyane Wade (’23). She closed her induction speech speaking directly to a basketball that she brought out stage.
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“My muse. We did a lot together,” she said. “We dunked on UConn at UConn. Oh yeah. We going to talk our stuff. We shimmied over our right shoulder and hit that sick fade away off the glass so many times. We had our own signature shoe. We were the first woman to grace the cover of NBA2K. We traveled from Milan to Tokyo. We assisted. We were position-less. We wanted every level for every team we played for. And now we stand on the podium as first-ballot Hall of Famers.”
Amar’e Stoudemire: ‘You can persevere through anything’
Amar’e Stoudemire was one of a handful of high school players to make the jump to the NBA and be successful. He was selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns and made an immediate impact, winning the 2002-03 NBA Rookie of the Year.
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“The most important aspect that I can give that I experienced when you’re growing up in an environment where it’s not always easy to make it out of, the most important factor for me was first of all, stay out of trouble,” he said. “That was the first and foremost thing for me to stay out of trouble, stay positive, stay focused, stay meaningful. And always keep in mind that perseverance, no matter what one goes through, you can persevere through anything.”
Doc Rivers: ‘Coaching stole my voice’
Doc Rivers said he didn’t always have the raspy, deep voice that he’s become known for. While leading five different franchises throughout his career – Orlando Magic (1999-2003), Boston Celtics (2004-13), Los Angeles Clippers (2013-20), Philadelphia 76ers (2020-23), and Milwaukee Bucks (2023-26) – Rivers said “coaching stole my voice from me.”
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“I want you guys to know a couple of quick things, that this isn’t my real voice,” he said during is induction speech. “I swear I used to have a high voice. I used to be able to really sing. Can’t do that anymore.”
Rivers selected Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, members of the Boston Celtics’ 2008 championship team, as his presenters. Rivers also acknowledged Rajon Rondo in the audience.
“You win a title and, everyone in here who has one understands, it’s like having a blood transfusion,” Rivers said. “You are connected for the rest of your lives. You really are. And I want you guys to hear that and understand that. So thank you.”
As the Clippers head coach, Rivers made NBA history when the team signed his son, Austin, making them the first-ever father-son coach-player duo in league history. “One gift that basketball gave me… I was the first to coach my son, Austin,” Rivers said. “We did that, Austin, and no one can ever take that away from us, man.”
1996 U.S. Women’s National Team laid ‘foundation’ of WNBA
Rebecca Lobo, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017, said the 1996 U.S. Women’s National Team she was part of “was the foundation of what the WNBA became.” The league is now celebrating its 30th anniversary.
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“All of us get to look around and watch WNBA games and see the growth and the popularity of the WNBA and college basketball and explode at a level that we have never seen before,” Lobo said. “And I hope all of the women here and all of our teammates sometimes just take a second to smile and appreciate the role that this team played in that being a foundational piece. But it was that year. It was that year together of hard times and laughter that made our team be able to be what it was.”
Lobo added, “People have asked me how would this team compare to some of the incredible teams that have come since then? We’re the only one who trained for a year straight. We trained for a year straight. We’d be on the road about three weeks and then we’d get a couple days at home with our family. Then we’d be on the road for three weeks. And we went all over the U.S. and played against college teams.
“We went all over the world. Siberia in February, we were in China, we were in Australia. And this group just really came together and bonded. And it was such a fortunate time that we got to be a part of.”
Elena Delle Donne fights back tears thanking teammate
Elena Delle Donne getting choked up talking about former teammate Sylvia Fowles (’25) was incredibly wholesome. Delle Donne’s voice quivered when she began talking about Fowles’ impact on her career and how she treated her like an equal from the beginning. “Ooo, I can’t look at you,” Delle Donne said, fighting back tears.
Mark Few says HOF induction is ‘absolutely mind boggling’
Mike Few acknowledged his humble beginnings. He was born in Creswell, Oregon, a town with that “had a population of around 1500 people that had one stoplight,” he recalled.
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“To be here standing where I am today is absolutely mind boggling. I say that because people have asked me, is this a dream come true? And I’m telling you, I couldn’t even think about dreaming such a thing where I came from,” Few said during his induction speech. “(God has) been the greatest navigator in mine and my family’s life. How else does a guy get from Creswel, Oregon to Springfield, Massachusetts? Come on now. Wow. The only Springfield I ever thought about …was Springfield, Oregon, 10 miles north of Creswell.”
Few has guided Gonzaga from being a nice little Cinderella story to a national powerhouse this century. He coached Gonzaga to NCAA title game appearances in 2017 and 2021, and the Bulldogs have appeared in 25 consecutive NCAA tournaments.
He recalled making “a whopping $1,500 a year” starting out as an assistant at Gonzaga in 1990–1999.
“I really want to acknowledge and thank Dan Monson for not only getting my start in college coaching, but probably more importantly, allowing me to stay rent-free on his couch in his apartment for my two first years of Gonzaga,” Few said.
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Few took over as head coach in 1999, where he still remains today.
More: Gonzaga coach Mark Few inducted into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
Mike D’Antoni says he’s the ‘luckiest man in the world’
Through his 16 NBA seasonsas a head coach, Mike D’Antoni racked up nearly 1,200 career wins. He was named NBA Coach of the Year twice (2005 and 2017). He served as an assistant coach for the gold medal-winning 2012 U.S. Olympic Team and was also recognized as one of the 50 Greatest Contributors in EuroLeague history in 2008.
His wife Laurel, however, teases about one accomplishment he fell short of.
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“Laurel, you’ve been my greatest partner and supporter,” D’Antoni said. “I know you’re especially excited about the incredible 1996 Women’s National team inducted tonight. You’re one of the biggest supporters of women’s basketball and someone who was gifted a Phoenix Mercury Championship ring. And she reminds me, at least somebody in our house got a ring.”
Many of the D’Antoni’s former players were in attendance for his Hall of Fame induction, including Steve Nash (Class of 18), Amar’e Stoudemire (’26), Jeremy Lin and James Harden, who D’Antoni took time to acknowledge.
“We signed this long-haired Canadian soccer player, Steve Nash. Steve, I am proud that your two MVP titles with the (Phoenix) Suns. All of you guys, all of you guys are the reason why coaching is so rewarding,” D’Antoni said of Nash, who he coached in Phoenix (2003–2008). He then turned his attention to Harden, who he coached in Houston (2016–2020): “(James Harden’s) one of the most skilled players I’ve ever coached, and I appreciate the trust he gave me.”
He added, “The Hall of Fame is about leaving an impact and mine is simple. We made the game a little faster, a little brighter, and a heck of a lot more fun. Luckiest man in the world. Spent my life doing what I love alongside people I love.”
Longtime NBA referee Joey Crawford quotes Muhammad Ali
Joey Crawford officiated 2,561 regular-season NBA games over 39 seasons, including a record 374 playoff contests and 50 NBA Finals games. He worked in 23 consecutive NBA Finals before retiring in 2016 at the age of 63.
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“As the great Muhammad Ali once said, it ain’t bragging if you did it,” Crawford said during his induction speech, drawing a loud applause.
Crawford credited his father with showing you could make a living as a referee. Crawford’s father, Shag Crawford, served as a MLB umpire for two decades.
“I didn’t have to look very far for my inspiration to become an NBA ref. He was standing right in front of me. It was my dad,” Crawford recalled. “He umpired more than 3,000 games, three World Series. At a young age, I would ask my mom, ‘Where’s dad?’ … She would pull out the newspaper and she’d tell me Chicago, where the Cubs are, the Dodgers in LA, St. Louis Cardinals. She laid it all out for me. And then she would say, ‘Joseph, this is how we pay the bills.’
“That’s when it came to me. Oh my Lord, you could actually make a living doing this.”
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More: NBA referee Joey Crawford inducted into Basketball Hall of Fame
Chamique Holdsclaw pays tribute to late Pat Summitt
Chamique Holdsclaw will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame alongside the 1996 USA Basketball Women’s National Team, the very team that “made me believe that this dream could become a reality.”
“I have to honor and acknowledge a team that changed everything for me. The 1996 United States Olympic team,” Holdsclaw said in her induction speech on Saturday, Aug. 15. “Teresa Edwards, Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Dawn Staley. Those were the women whose posters were on my wall. Black women, strong, confident, dominant, graceful… And standing here tonight, it feels full circle.”
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Holdsclaw selected Tamika Catchings (Class of 2020), Tina Thompson (’18) and Teresa Weatherspoon (’19) as her presenters, and they all stood by Holdsclaw’s side. But there was one presenter Holdsclaw wished could have joined her at Symphony Hall.
“One person I wish was here tonight as my presenter, my demanding and wonderfully supportive college coach, Pat Summit, the one and only,” said Holdsclaw, who played under Summitt at Tennessee from 1995–1999. “Coach Summit allowed me to grow as both the player and the person. She stood by me 10 toes down during life’s highs and lows. She showed me a conditional love and support. Also showed me support is not defined. Family is not defined by blood. I miss her dearly.”
What time is the Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony?
The Class of 2026 Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. ET at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Class of 2026 will walk the red carpet ahead of the ceremony, starting at 6 p.m. ET.
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Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony: TV, streaming
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Location: Symphony Hall (Springfield, Mass)
The first woman to appear on the cover of SLAM Magazine, Holdsclaw was a six-time All-Star, a three-time All-WNBA selection, a two-time league-rebounding champ and the scoring champ in 2002. Selected No. 1 overall out of Tennessee, she was the Rookie of the Year in 1999 and helped Team USA win gold at the 2000 Olympics. Holdsclaw twice averaged a double-double in seasons for the Washington Mystics and finished in the top 10 of MVP voting six times in her career.
Elena Delle Donne is in the building
Elena Delle Donne, the 6-foot-5 unicorn from Delaware, donned a white tuxedo for her induction.
Mike D’Antoni arrives
The inductees are arriving and leave it to longtime head coach Mike D’Antoni to be the first to arrive.
Stream the 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony on Fubo
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Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen spotted on red carpet
Kevin Garnett stopped on the red carpet to take a photo with fans ahead of the Class of 2026 Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where he will serve as a presenter for former head coach Doc Rivers. Rivers coached Garnett on the Boston Celtics from 2007 through 2013, winning an NBA championship together in 2008.
Ray Allen was also on hand to support Rivers. Allen was on the Celtics’ championship squad in 2008 and played under Rivers from 2007-2012.
2026 Hall of Fame Inductees, presenters
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Joey Crawford – Danny Crawford (Class of 2025), Rod Thorn (’18)
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Mike D’Antoni – Jerry Colangelo (’04), Bob McAdoo (’00), Steve Nash (’18), Amar’e Stoudemire (’26), Rod Thorn (’18)
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Elena Delle Donne – Sylvia Fowles (’25), Marianne Stanley (’22)
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Mark Few – John Calipari (’15), Grant Hill (’18), John Stockton (’09)
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Chamique Holdsclaw – Tamika Catchings (’20), Tina Thompson (’18), Teresa Weatherspoon (’19)
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Candace Parker – Tamika Catchings (’20), Allen Iverson (’16), Cheryl Miller (’95), Dwyane Wade (’23)
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Doc Rivers – Kevin Garnett (’20), Paul Pierce (’21)
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Amar’e Stoudemire – Jerry Colangelo (’04), Mike D’Antoni (’26), Grant Hill (’18), Tracy McGrady (’17), Steve Nash (’18), Rick Welts (’18)
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1996 USA Basketball Women’s National Team – Teresa Edwards (’11), Lisa Leslie (’15), Rebecca Lobo (’17), Katrina McClain (’12), Dawn Staley (’13), Sheryl Swoopes (’16), Tara VanDerveer (’11)
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Candace Parker, 2026 class inducted into Basketball Hall of Fame: Highlights
