Two of the greatest Lady Vols basketball players ever, Chamique Holdsclaw and Candace Parker, are set to make history as Naismith Hall of Famers.
Candace Parker and Chamique Holdsclaw are part of the nine-member 2026 class that will be enshrined on Aug. 15 at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Chamique Holdsclaw is still Tennessee's all-time leading scorer, rebounder, and the only men's or women's player to score 3,000 points at Tennessee.
She scored 3,025 points and grabbed 1,295 rebounds playing for the Lady Vols from 1995-99, and her 3,025 points rank No. 14 in NCAA Division I women's basketball history.
Candace Parker, who retired from basketball in 2024, is entering the hall in her first year of eligibility.
Parker had one of the greatest runs in the history of sports in 2008, winning a second straight national championship and second straight Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament award at Tennessee.
Parker then 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.
Chamique 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.
Holdsclaw also hit a game-winner in a historic performance against the Sacramento Monarchs in 2002, scoring 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.
Candace Parker led the Chicago Sky to its first WNBA title in 2021, scoring 16 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, four steals, and a block in one of her greatest performances of her career.
Parker was the first WNBA player to record three triple-doubles in their career, and she has been credited as the blueprint of modern point forwards in the WNBA.
The two basketball legends will be enshrined as part of the 2026 Naismith Hall of Fame class, joining other notable inductees including Nikki McCray-Penson, Carla McGhee, and Jennifer Azzi.
The ceremony will take place on Aug. 15 at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts, and will be broadcast on NBA TV.
Source: Yahoo Sports