WNBA Legends Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne Move One Step Closer to Basketball Immortality

Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne are among the greatest basketball players ever. Parker won back-to-back national titles at Tennessee before becoming one of the WNBA’s all-time greats. She was voted one of the league’s 25 greatest players of all-time in 2021. On the other hand, Elena led the Washington Mystics to their first and only title while appearing in seven All-Star teams. Now, the two legends stand on the cusp of further greatness. 

Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne are included in the shortlist that will be eligible to be voted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026. They could be enshrined in Springfield, Massachusetts, next year. The entire Class of 2026 will be unveiled on national television during the Final Four Weekend in April. 

“The candidates for the Class of 2026 have each left an indelible impact on the game of basketball,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “Through defining performances, influential leadership, and achievements that helped elevate the sport on the national and international stage, this year’s ballot recognizes those whose legacy continues to shape how the game is played, coached, and celebrated.”

And the recognition doesn’t stop with the Naismith ballot. Both Parker and Delle Donne led the 2026 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame class revealed in October as well. Parker, a seven-time WNBA All-Star, two-time WNBA MVP (2008, 2013), became the first player in WNBA history to win Rookie of the Year and League MVP in the same season. She’s the only player in the WNBA with championships with three different teams: the Los Angeles Sparks (2016), the Chicago Sky (2021), and the Las Vegas Aces (2023).

A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Parker retired before the 2024 season as arguably the greatest women’s basketball player ever. Her impact remained consistent even after retirement. She moved into broadcasting and has been heavily investing in basketball. Parker is among the newly minted women’s basketball league Project B. Her voice is prevalent in men’s college basketball and the NBA. In 2023, she became the first woman to serve as a color commentator for an NBA All-Star Game.

Delle Donne has had a comparable impact as well. She became the first player in WNBA history to finish a regular season with a 50% field goal percentage, 40% 3-point field goal percentage, and 90% free throw percentage during the 2019 season. She braved through injuries throughout her career, including three bulging discs in the 2019 WNBA finals. The two-time MVP led Chicago to multiple playoff appearances and later moved to the Mystics. 

Off the floor, Delle Donne is already shaping the next generation of the game. She was announced as the first director of the USA 3×3 Women’s National Team. She also serves as special advisor to Monumental Basketball, the parent company of the Mystics. However, their candidacy for the Naismith Hall of Fame is a rarity as it is acquired atleast 4 years after retirement and it’s included in their criteria.

Both Parker and Delle Donne retired in 2024 and are eligible in 2026, which makes this unique. Exceptions and special eligibility rules do exist, Parker and Delle Donne’s early inclusion furtherhighlights their legacy. Beyond front-office and national-team work, Parker has also leaned into the part of her legacy that began in Knoxville.

Candace Parker Reminisces Former Coach After Reunion With Dawn Staley And Co. 

Candace Parker, Nikki Fargas, and Andraya Carter, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, and ESPN’s Holly Rowe spent two hours telling stories of the late Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt for a live reunion show by Omaha Productions on December 11. They reminisced as old friends in front of a live audience. The group shared laughter and a few tears at the memory of the coaching legend who died in 2016. 

The panel was flanked by the 8 of Summitt’s national championship trophies on stage, with nets draped over each one, as they recounted being recruited by Summitt, seeing both her competitiveness and care for them, and how they were impacted by witnessing her fight with Alzheimer’s. 

“Just to be there and kind of like remember um her legacy to be in Knoxville, it was unbelievable. So, super special to be a part of that. So, I can’t wait for you all to see it. Omaha Productions produced it, and I can’t wait to see the finishing touches of it,” Parker said on the Post Moves Podcast. 

Parker is also formally affiliated with the Pat Summitt Foundation as an Honorary Co-Chair and is listed as a leader. She plays an important part in spreading awareness regarding the foundation and its important work. Parker herself has a philanthropic venture, the Candace Parker Foundation. It focuses on investing in social impact organizations and youth uplift through initiatives like its Glass Ceiling Grants. Moments like that underline why Parker’s candidacy resonates: the résumé is elite, but the influence runs deeper.

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