Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne Honor Basketball in Hall of Fame Speeches

Springfield, Mass. (AP) — Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne turned their Hall of Fame speeches into heartfelt tributes to basketball. They expressed how much the sport has given them, highlighted by their induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday night.

Parker, who brought a basketball on stage for her speech, was part of the 2026 class. This group also included the 1996 U.S. Olympic women’s basketball team, Chamique Holdsclaw, NBA player Amar’e Stoudemire, longtime NBA referee Joey Crawford, NBA coaches Doc Rivers and Mike D’Antoni, and Gonzaga coach Mark Few.

Addressing the basketball, Parker said, “It felt strange to walk on the stage without the reason I’m here today. We did a lot together: dunking on UConn, shimmying over our right shoulder, and hitting that fadeaway. We had our signature shoe and became the first woman to appear on the cover of NBA2K. We stand on this podium as first-ballot Hall of Famers.”

Parker’s achievements include three WNBA titles, two MVPs, two championships at Tennessee, and two Olympic gold medals. She reflected emotionally, stating, “We were meant to be a love story that began 27 years ago.”

Delle Donne also delivered a love letter to the game, recounting her career’s highs and lows while keeping perspective, inspired by her older sister Lizzie, who is blind and deaf.

She never played in front of thousands of people, never had a standing ovation, never been interviewed after a big win. Yet I’ve never met anyone stronger.

Delle Donne, who choked up during her speech, thanked her supporters. She won MVP awards in 2015 and 2019, with the latter accompanying the Washington Mystics’ sole WNBA championship. She was the first player in league history to achieve more than 50% shooting from the field, over 40% from beyond the three-point line, and 90% from the free-throw line.

Opening her speech with a nod to actor Larry David, Delle Donne used his signature phrase, hoping her speech was “pretty, pretty, pretty good.” Rivers, who connected her with David before the ceremony, was also present.

Rivers, with 1,194 regular-season wins as an NBA coach, spoke emotionally about his brother Grady, who motivated him to improve as a player.

Holdsclaw thanked former teammates and coaches, emphasizing the impact of her college coach, Pat Summitt, who passed away in 2016 due to Alzheimer’s. Holdsclaw led Tennessee to three straight titles from 1996-98 under Summitt’s guidance.

One person that I wish was here as my presenter was my demanding and wonderfully supporting college coach, Pat Summitt. The one and only.

Holdsclaw’s 1998 team achieved Tennessee’s first undefeated season at 39-0, setting an NCAA record for the most wins in a season. She had an 11-year WNBA career and praised the 1996 Olympic team for their inspiration during her youth, noting their influence on the U.S.’s continued Olympic success.

Few, Gonzaga’s coach since 1999, expressed humility and surprise at the recognition.

What a crazy, surreal moment for me. The town I grew up in had a population of 1,500 people and had one stoplight. To be standing where I am today is absolutely mind-boggling.

Crawford officiated over 2,500 regular-season NBA games and nearly 400 postseason games, including 50 NBA Finals games during his 39-year career. He aspired to referee in the NBA since his teenage years and pursued that dream relentlessly.

D’Antoni gained significant experience as a player and coach in Italy before returning to the NBA, developing a fast-paced style with the Phoenix Suns alongside Stoudemire.

AP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg contributed to this story.