Every woman Basketball Hall of Fame inductee this year is gay or bi
Several out gay and bi women's basketball players are being honored by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with inclusion. The post Every woman Basketball Hall of Fame inductee this year is gay or bi appeared first on Outsports.
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The incoming class of Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductees got even more gay over the weekend as the previously reported Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne were joined by WNBA and Tennessee legend Chamique Holdsclaw and the 1996 U.S. Women’s National Team in the Class of 2026.
Holdsclaw gets the nod after a stellar college and professional basketball career that included three consecutive NCAA championships, two Most Outstanding Player awards and two Naismith Player of the Year awards during her time under Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee between 1996-98.
The number-one overall pick in the 1999 WNBA Draft, Holdsclaw earned WNBA Rookie of the Year honors and her first of six WNBA All-Star selections in 1999, her first of 11 seasons in the league. The SEC all-time leading scorer won the WNBA scoring title in 2002 and was named All-WNBA Second Team three times during her pro career.
Holdsclaw added international trophies as well, winning gold at the 2000 Summer Olympics and the 1998 FIBA World Championship.
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The 1996 U.S. Women’s National Team received its call to the hall for the legacy that team built while spawning the current landscape of professional women’s basketball in the nation. The squad that won gold at the Atlanta Games laid the foundation for the WNBA’s inaugural season shortly after their gold medal run.
Counted among the team’s ranks are two well-known LGBTQ names: Sheryl Swoopes and Jennifer Azzi. Swoopes became one of the early faces of the WNBA before the 1996 Games even wrapped up and helped the Houston Comets become the league’s first powerhouse, winning four consecutive WNBA championships between 1997-2000.
Azzi built her own legacy in the ABL and WNBA before holding leadership positions with USA Basketball, the NBA and the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces following her playing career.
The slate of outstanding out LGBTQ honorees on the women’s side were joined by former NBA referee Joeay Crawford, longtime Phoenix Suns standout Amar’e Stoudemire, his coach for that Phoenix run Mike D’Antoni, longtime Gonzaga men’s head coach Mark Few and NBA champion head coach Doc Rivers, who himself has been vocally supportive of LGBTQ inclusion in the NBA during his career.
All nine honorees will be inducted formally on August 14-15.
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The post Every woman Basketball Hall of Fame inductee this year is gay or bi appeared first on Outsports.
