Lady Vols basketball will have two of its greatest players inducted to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame 2026 class.
Candace Parker and Chamique Holdsclaw were announced as two of the nine members of the 2026 class on April 4. Tennessee will also have a few additional players enter this year with the induction of the 1996 U.S. women’s national team, which included Nikki McCray-Penson and Carla McGhee.
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WNBA great Elena Delle Donne will join Parker, Holdsclaw and the 1996 team on the women’s side. The class, which will be enshrined on Aug. 15 in Springfield, Massachusetts, also includes Gonzaga coach Mark Few, Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers, former NBA player Amar’e Stoudemire and referee Joey Crawford.
Parker will be enter the Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility, two years after retiring from one of the greatest careers in women’s basketball. Parker will also be inducted to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame on June 27 in her first year of eligibility.
Parker retired in April 2024 after 16 seasons in the WNBA. The 6-foot-4 forward was a two-time WNBA MVP, a three-time WNBA champion and a 10-time All-WNBA selection.
Parker is the only player in league history to win WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season in 2008, the same summer she won her first of two Olympic gold medals and went No. 1 overall in the draft. She retired as the only player in league history to rank in the top 10 all-time in points, assists, rebounds and blocks.
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Her years in the WNBA were preceded by an illustrious career at Tennessee playing for legendary coach Pat Summitt. Parker led the Lady Vols to national championships in 2007 and 2008, winning Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four both years.
Holdsclaw was a six-time WNBA All-Star after she was the No. 1 overall pick of the 1999 WNBA Draft. She’s one of the most decorated Lady Vols of all time, winning three straight national championships from 1996-98.
Holdsclaw is still the all-time leading scorer not only for the program, but for the SEC with 3,025 career points. She’s the only Lady Vol to ever score more than 3,000 points in their career. She was a four-time All-American who also holds program records for career rebounds, and she was a two-time SEC player of the year and two-time Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
Holdsclaw, who has been a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame since 2018, was Naismith Player of the Year in 1998 and 1999.
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Holdsclaw was the 1999 WNBA Rookie of the Year and the 2002 scoring champion. She averaged 16.9 points and 7.6 rebounds across her 11-year WNBA career, which included playing for the Washington Mystics, Los Angeles Sparks, Atlanta Dream and San Antonio Silver Stars. Holdsclaw won an Olympic gold medal in 2000.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: subscribe.knoxnews.com/offers
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Candace Parker, Chamique Holdsclaw in 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame class
