Three Vols Legends Among Inductees For Basketball Hall Of Fame
Three Tennessee Vols basketball legends are among the nominees for the 2026 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Lady Vol greats Candace Parker and Chamique Holdsclaw are on the ballot as well as current Tennessee men’s basdketball head coach Rick Barnes.
Candace Parker is considered one of the greatest women’s basketball players ever. She was on back to back national championship teams under Pat Summit at Tennessee. She was then the first overall pick in the 2008 WNBA draft going to the Los Angeles Sparks where she played for 13 seasons. She finished her career in 2023 with the Las Vegas Aces.
Chamique Holdsclaw is a legend on Rocky Top as she was part of three title winning teams in a row with the Lady Vols from 1996-98. She won the Naismith Award winner twice. That’s an annual honor given to the best player in college basketball. She was the first overall pick in the 1999 WNBA draft to the Washington Mytics. She played in the WNBA for 11 seasons. He rbest season came in 2003 when she averaged 20.5 PPG.
Rick Barnes is the current head coach at Tennessee and is one of the most winningest coaches in NCAA basketball history. Barnes currently ranks 18th on the all-time wins list with 836. This season is his 37th as an NCAA coach.
The 2026 inductees into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame will be announced during Final Four weekend on Saturday, April 4.