Moments that made Lady Vols’ Chamique Holdsclaw, Candace Parker Naismith Hall of Famers

Two of the greatest Lady Vols basketball players ever will soon enter the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Candace Parker and Chamique Holdsclaw are both part of the nine-member 2026 class that will be enshrined on Aug. 15 (7 p.m. ET, NBA TV) at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Parker is entering the hall in her first year of eligibility after retiring from basketball in 2024. Two other Lady Vols are also in the 2026 class as part of the 1996 U.S. national team that included Nikki McCray-Penson and Carla McGhee, along with Oak Ridge native Jennifer Azzi.

Here are the top moments from Parker and Holdsclaw’s careers that cemented them as Hall of Famers.

Chamique Holdsclaw is still Tennessee’s all-time leading scorer, rebounder

Holdsclaw became the first Tennessee player to surpass 3,000 career points in a 68-52 win against Virginia Tech on March 20, 1999 in the NCAA Sweet 16 in front of 13,204 fans. She scored 27 points on 50% shooting with eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks.

She graduated as the all-time leading scorer and rebounder in Tennessee history for men’s and women’s basketball, and that hasn’t changed in the last 27 years. Holdsclaw is still the only men’s or women’s player to score 3,000 points at Tennessee.

The 6-foot-2 forward from Queens, New York, scored 3,025 points and grabbed 1,295 rebounds playing for the Lady Vols from 1995-99. She’s the only four-year player in program history to average 20 points during her career (20.4). Holdsclaw is also still the all-time leading scorer in SEC women’s basketball, and her 3,025 points rank No. 14 in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history.

Candace Parker wins MVP, Rookie of Year in historic year

Parker had one of the greatest runs in the history of sports in 2008.

It started with the 6-4 forward winning a second straight national championship and second straight Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament award at Tennessee. Then Parker went No. 1 overall in the draft and became the first player to win WNBA Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season, a feat that has yet to be repeated. Parker averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals, and she’s still the only rookie to record a 40-point game.

She won an Olympic gold medal in the middle of it all. And was pregnant with her daughter, Lailaa, during the back half of the season, including the Olympics when she averaged 9.4 points and 4.5 rebounds, both of which ranked in the top five on the team.

Chamique Holdsclaw hits game-winner in historic performance

Holdsclaw pulled up off the dribble and let one of her buttery-smooth jumpers fly with less than 10 seconds left in double overtime against the Sacramento Monarchs.

The Mystics star drained the game-winning 3-pointer to give Washington an 87-86 lead with 7.1 seconds left on June 25, 2002. Holdsclaw scored 10 of the Mystics’ 13 points in the second overtime.

She had a team-high 29 points, 21 rebounds, four assists and two steals, making her the second player in WNBA history to record a 20-point, 20-rebound double-double. Holdsclaw recorded her second in 2003, and she remains one of only four players with multiple 20-point, 20-rebound double-doubles. Only 16 players have accomplished the feat in league history, which includes Parker.

There have only been 23 double-doubles with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in league history, and only Holdsclaw, A’ja Wilson and Sylvia Fowles have scored 29-plus points in one of those games.

Holdsclaw had arguably her best season as a pro in 2002, finishing fourth in the MVP voting behind Tamika Catchings, Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes, who won her second MVP.

Candace Parker leads hometown Chicago Sky to first WNBA title

Parker was wide open behind the arc when Courtney Vandersloot whipped the ball to her on the wing. Parker didn’t hesitate and let the ball fly with 1:57 left in the fourth quarter.

She knocked down the 3-pointer to tie the game 72-72 on the Sky’s home court. Parker, who grew up in Naperville, Illinois, turned to the sold-out crowd, still holding her follow through as fans screamed for their hometown hero.

Parker had assisted the last two buckets as Chicago mounted a furious comeback after entering the fourth quarter trailing the Phoenix Mercury by nine points. Parker grabbed six defensive rebounds in the final four minutes, including the last play of the game. She still had the ball in her hands as she sprinted across the court to her family after the Sky won 80-74.

Parker had 16 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, four steals and a block in one of her greatest performances of her career to lead Chicago to its first WNBA championship in franchise history on Oct. 17, 2021.

Chamique Holdsclaw in 1998 NCAA Tournament

When Holdsclaw led Tennessee to a third-straight national championship in 1998, she lifted another trophy for a second straight year: the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament.

Holdsclaw had 25 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and a steal in the national title game when Tennessee beat Louisiana Tech 93-75 on March 29, 1998. She averaged 26.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 blocks over six games in the tournament. Holdsclaw scored 915 points that season, which led NCAA Division I women’s basketball as the Lady Vols went 39-0.

Holdsclaw averaged 22.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.3 steals in 1997 when she won her first MOP award. She scored 24 points with seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in Tennessee’s 68-59 win over Old Dominion in the national championship on March 30, 1997.

Candace Parker first WNBA player to record three triple-doubles

Parker has been credited as blueprint of modern point forwards in the WNBA with the ability to play any position on the court at her size, so it was fitting she was the first WNBA player to record three triple-doubles in their career.

On June 23, 2022, Parker had 10 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in 26 minutes for the Chicago Sky in an 82-59 against the Los Angeles Sparks. That also made Parker the first WNBA player to record multiple triple-doubles in a single season, and she was the oldest player to log a triple-double at 36.

Parker’s first triple-double was on July 28, 2017, when she still played for the Sparks. Parker had 11 points, 17 rebounds and 11 assists in an 85-73 win over the San Antonio Stars. Her second was on May 22, 2022, when she put up 16 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in the Sky’s 82-73 win over the Washington Mystics.

Other Candace Parker, Chamique Holdsclaw career highlights

Candace Parker (2004-08)

One of five Lady Vols to score 2,000 career points and one of three to also record at least 950 rebounds
Wooden Award (2007, 2008)
Naismith Player of the Year (2008)
USBWA Player of the Year (2007, 2008)
Three-time All-American (2006, 2007, 2008)
SEC Tournament MVP (2006, 2008)
SEC Player of the Year (2007)
WNBA champion (2016, 2021, 2023)
WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2020)
10-time All-WNBA selection, including seven first-team honors
Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2012)
No. 3 jersey retired by Tennessee, Los Angeles and Chicago
Retired as the only player in WNBA history to rank in the top 10 all-time in points, assists, rebounds and blocks
First woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game

Chamique Holdsclaw (1996-99)

Naismith Player of the Year (1998, 1999)
AP Player of the Year (1998, 1999)
USBWA Player of the Year (1998, 1999)
WBCA Player of the Year (1998, 1999)
SEC Player of the Year (1998, 1999)
SEC Tournament MVP (1998, 1999)
USBWA National Freshman of the Year (1996)
First woman on a SLAM cover (1998)
WNBA scoring champion (2002)
WNBA rebounding champion (2002, 2003)
Olympic gold medalist (2000)
Three-time All-WNBA selection
WNBA Rookie of the Year (1999)

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:knoxnews.com/subscribe

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Moments that made Lady Vols’ Chamique Holdsclaw, Candace Parker Naismith Hall of Famers

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