January 16, 2025
FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2025 announced
Women's basketball greats included in the nine-person class
On Thursday, the inductees for the 2025 FIBA Hall of Fame class were announced, a list which featured women’s basketball greats Dawn Staley, Ticha Penicheiro and Leonor Borrell. The class is set to be inducted on May 17 in Bahrain during an enshrinement ceremony. In total, eight players and one coach, both men and women, will be recognized for their contributions to the sport.
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FIBA Basketball shared the news on X, formally known as Twitter, with the caption “Introducing… the FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2025 🌟.”
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Current South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley has had a remarkable career, from her days at the University of Virginia to playing in the WNBA, before eventually hanging up her jersey to coach at the collegiate and professional levels. The point guard also helped USA Basketball win World Cup titles in 1998 in Germany and in 2002 in China.
In total, Staley played at three Olympic Games, in 1996, 2000 and 2004, winning a gold medal at each one. As a head coach, she lead the USA to a gold medal in 2018 at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Also being inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame is Portugal’s Ticha Penicheiro. After a distinguished career in the NCAA playing for Old Dominion, Penicheiro went on to win a WNBA Championship in 2005 with the now folded Sacramento Monarchs. Her accomplishments also include winning a EuroLeague Women title in 2007, the EuroCup Women title in 2006, and seven national titles in seven different countries. After retiring from the sport in 2012, she has also been an active player agent, representing professional women’s basketball players.
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The third woman being inducted this year is three-time Olympian Leonor Borrell from Cuba. Known as one of the best female Cuban basketball players, Borrell played in four editions of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, and helped her country win bronze in 1990. During the 1986 tournament, she was the top scorer, averaging 26.7 points per game. She also played for the Cuban national team in the 1980 and 1992 summer Olympics.
FIBA Women’s AmeriCup shared the news on X, saying that Borrell has made history as the second Cuban basketball play to be inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame.
