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Cheryl Reeve and Candace Parker Headline Women’s Basketball Hall Fame Class of 2026

Geoff Maggliochetti 0 October 30, 2025 Fact checked by: Sara Jane Gamelli No Comments

Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the Minnesota Lynx and more, has earned yet another honor on her sterling basketball resume.

Another WNBA championship proved elusive, but Cheryl Reeve’s year is culminating in yet another elite title.

Cheryl Reeve
Photo Credit: Shawn Mclurkin | Ballislife

The head coach of the Minnesota Lynx is the headliner of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, part of an illustrious group that also includes her recurring foe Candace Parker, as well as Elena Delle Donne, Doris Burke, Isabelle Fijalkowski, Barbara Kennedy-Dixon, Kim Muhl, and Amaya Valdemoro. 

“We are honored to pay tribute to eight distinguished legends of this exceptional sport,” Hall of Fame president Dana Hart said, per the Associated Press. “They exemplify the highest standards in women’s basketball and have made substantial contributions to the sport, along with shaping the game’s historical trajectory.”

Reeve continues to make her Hall of Fame impact felt at the helm of the Lynx, who have hosted her as the head coach since 2010. She has amassed over 400 wins between the regular season and playoffs and has won four WNBA titles in addition to four Coach of the Year Awards, holding the record for the latter individual honor.

Minnesota’s 364 regular-season wins are far and away the most since 2010, and its 19 playoff series victories are tied for the most with Phoenix in that same span. In addition to her four championships with the Lynx, Reeve has two other rings from her time as an assistant on Bill Laimbeer’s Detroit Shock staff, and she also guided the United States women’s national basketball team to its most recent gold medal in Paris last summer.

Candace Parker Headlines Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026

One of Reeve’s rings—and another one denied to her—was earned against Parker, who was best known for her 13-year tenure with the Los Angeles Sparks. Following a sterling career at the University of Tennessee, also based in Knoxville like the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, Parker immediately lived up to her massive hype, winning the 2008 WNBA MVP award mere months after the Sparks made her the top pick in the previous draft.

Parker likewise racked up the accolades in her career, securing another MVP award in 2013 along with three championships. The second, won in 2021, delivered a WNBA title to her home state of Illinois, as she represented the Chicago Sky in its four-game win over Phoenix. Since announcing her retirement in 2024, Parker, who is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist with the Americans, has served as a basketball commentator for TNT Sports and as president of Adidas’ women’s basketball division.

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Elena Delle Donne, WNBA & Olympian

Also along for the ride is Delle Donne, Parker’s fellow legend of the new century, who burst onto the scene at the University of Delaware, where she played after turning down a high-profile scholarship deal from UConn to stay closer to her family. Delle Donne likewise has multiple WNBA MVP awards on her mantle in addition to a 2019 championship with the Washington Mystics.

Originally taking the floor as a member of the Sky and last playing in 2023, Delle Donne officially announced her retirement last spring and has since been named the director of Team USA’s three-on-three program. She also has an Olympic gold medal around her neck, prevailing with the 2016 group in Rio de Janeiro. 

Doris Burke, Analyst & Reporter

Burke, formerly a backcourt talent at Providence College, is best known for her prowess at the commentary table today, holding a variety of roles for ESPN’s basketball coverage since 1991. Of note, Burke was part of the Worldwide Leader’s top broadcasting pairing for its top NBA games last season, including the 2024 NBA Finals.

Working alongside Mike Breen and Doc Rivers, Burke became the first woman to call a championship game/series on television for one of the commonly accepted “big four” North American sports leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL) when the Oklahoma City Thunder downed the Indiana Pacers.

Barbara Kennedy-Dixon, NCAA Women’s Basketball Legend

The game goes back to its roots with the nomination of Kennedy-Dixon, the first recognized leader in women’s college basketball scoring when it became an official NCAA Division I sport back in 1982. Along with Delle Donne, Kennedy-Dixon is one of eight NCAA women’s basketball players to post a 3,000-point/1,000-rebound season and held several administrative roles with her alma mater, Clemson, after a nomadic pre-WNBA playing career. Kennedy-Dixon will be inducted posthumously, as she passed in 2018 after a bout with cancer.

Kim Muhl, NJCAA

Muhl is set to enter his 37th season at the helm of Kirkwood (IA) Community College. He has over 1,000 victories to his name at the NJCAA level and has guided the Eagles women’s program to nine national championships.

International Legends: Isabelle Fijalkowski and Amaya Valdemoro

The list is rounded out with international flair, with Fijalkowski joined by Valdemoro. The French-born Fijalkowski has five French League championships to her name after starring at Colorado and was one of the WNBA’s original stars, spending two seasons with the Cleveland Rockers upon the league’s formation in 1997.

Valdemoro, hailing from Spain, likewise competed in the early days of the W, winning three championships with the Houston Comets as well as nine Spanish Cups in her homeland.

The incoming class will officially have their Hall of Fame moment on June 27, 2026, in Knoxville at the Tennessee Theatre.

Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags

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