Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announces eligible candidates for women’s Class of 2025

“The nominees on the official ballot for the Class of 2025 represent a broad cross-section of our game,” John L. Doleva, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame president and CEO said in a press release. “From Olympic gold medals to NBA and WNBA titles to collegiate championships, these nominees epitomize the career of a Hall of Famer.”

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Here’s a quick look at the women’s candidates (star indicates a first-time nominee):

• Leta Andrews
• Jennifer Azzi 
• Sue Bird*
• Lisa Bluder*
• Doug Bruno
• Cheryl Ford
• Wanda Ford*
• Sylvia Fowles*
• Bridgette Gordon*
• Chamique Holdsclaw*
• Becky Martin
• Taj McWilliams-Franklin*
• Debbie Yosinoffalmore
• Maya Moore*
• Ticha Penicheiro*
• Ruth Riley*
• Mike Thibault*
• Marian Washington 
• Dean Weese
• Chris Weller
• Andrew Yosinoff

Here is the list of the women’s veteran nominees:

• 1982 Cheyney State NCAA Final Four Team
• Molly (Bolin) Kazmer
• Alline Banks Sprouse
• Edmonton Commercial Grads
• Fort Shaw Indians School
• John Head
• Yolanda Laney
• Nashville Business College
• Lometa Odom
• Hazel Walker
• Valerie Walker

“It is a great honor to receive this recognition from the Naismith Hall of Fame as a veteran player from the era of Title IX, AIAW and WBL [Women’s Professional Basketball League] trailblazers, whose significant contributions are not fully known,” Iowa basketball legend Molly Kazmer told The Next. “I am proud to be part of this triad, and I hope my nomination will help shed some light on this generation of women.

“The WBL was the first women’s professional basketball league in the United States and while I enjoyed great success in the league, its full impact on women’s basketball needs to be recognized. The WBL was a viable league that featured the best players of the time and helped pave the way for the WNBA.

“As vice president of Legends of the Ball, Inc. we continue to promote the social and historic relevance of the WBL as we celebrate our sixth anniversary!”

Another Iowa basketball legend — former Iowa women’s basketball coach, Lisa Bluder — is another notable name among the list of nominees. She stepped down from coaching after 24 years leading the Hawkeyes, with an overall record of 528-254 and a Big Ten record of 262-145. Bluder helped the squad advance to the last two national championship games and made 22 postseason appearances overall, leading to five Big Ten Tournament titles and two shared Big Ten regular season championships.

Two UConn alums, Sue Bird and Maya Moore, are also included in the list. Bird, who retired from professional basketball in 2022, is a four-time WNBA champion (2004, 2010, 2018, 2020), and became the all-time WNBA assists leader on Aug. 1, 2017, passing Ticha Penicheiro, who is also a Naismith HOF candidate. During her 19-year career, Bird never came off the bench and is the WNBA’s all-time leader in career starts. In the 2011 WNBA Draft, Moore was selected No. 1 overall by the Minnesota Lynx and put together an impressive career. She is also a four-time WNBA champion (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) and won two Olympic gold medals with USA Basketball. Moore officially retired from professional basketball in January 2023.

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Former Washington Mystics head coach and general manager Mike Thibault is also a first-time nominee. The announcement of these candidates comes a few months after Thibault parted ways with the Mystics after being with the franchise since Dec. 17, 2012. As head coach, he led the team to a WNBA championship in 2018 and played a crucial role in Washington’s success over the past 12 years. He also has 31 years of coaching experience with USA Basketball and served as an assistant coach for the 2024 USA Women’s National Team, which took home gold at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The Class of 2025 will be announced during a nationally televised broadcast at the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio on Saturday, April 5.

Howard Megdal contributed reporting to this story.