Tina Thompson, Chamique Holdsclaw lead 2018 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame class

The 2018 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame class will be headlined by Katie Smith, Tina Thompson, and Chamique Holdsclaw. All three are former Olympians and WNBA stars who helped shape the league. They were also selected for the Hall of Fame in their first years of eligibility.

The rest of the class is filled by two of the most influential assistant coaches of all time — UConn’s Chris Dailey and LSU’s Mickie DeMoss. They are the first two assistants to ever make into the Hall. Former Colorado coach Ceal Barry and high school and junior college coach Rose Marie Battaglia fill out the rest of the class.

This will be the 20th Anniversary class for the Hall of Fame, and the honorees will be inducted on June 9 at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tenn.

Holdsclaw attended the University of Tennessee, playing under coach Pat Summitt and leading the Lady Vols as the first-ever team to win three consecutive women’s NCAA national championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998. The 1998 team went 39-0. Holdsclaw is also Tennessee’s all-time leading scorer with 3,025 points as well as the all-time leading rebounder with 1,295.

She was the first pick overall for the Washington Mystics in the 1999 WNBA draft and went on to win the WNBA Rookie of the Year award. She is also a six-time WNBA All-Star, the 2002 WNBA scoring champion, and went back to back as the WNBA rebounding champion in 2002 and 2003. Holdsclaw also won a gold medal in 2000 at the Sydney Olympics.

Holdsclaw has also become a nationally recognized advocate for mental health, addressing her struggles with depression.

Smith attended Ohio State University, where she led the team to a Big Ten championship and an NCAA title game appearance as a freshman. She finished her collegiate career as the Big Ten’s all-time leading scorer in men’s or women’s hoops.

She won two WNBA championships with the Detroit Shock in 2006 and 2008 — claiming the WNBA Finals MVP in 2008 — and is fifth on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list.

Smith also won Olympic gold medals in 2000, 2004, and 2008.

“I am humbled and honored to be chosen as a member of such a prestigious group of athletes who have given their all for this game we love. Basketball has taken me from Logan, Ohio to places I never would have dreamed. I am grateful to everyone who has touched my life through this sport.”

Thompson was the No. 1 pick in the first-ever WNBA draft in 1997. Drafted by the Houston Comets, she won four straight championships with the team. She’s also a nine-time WNBA All-Star and was theleague’s all-time leading scorer until Diana Taurasi took the title in 2017.

She also has two gold medals from the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games.

“I am extremely honored to be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. It is a true privilege to have my name reside in the home where so many of the greats of our game are housed. As a young girl, little did I know how good old-fashioned hard work and passion would affect my life in such a grand way. Fabulous indeed.”

Dailey has been Geno Auriemma’s top assistant coach at UConn since 1985. During tha time, Connecticut has won 11 national titles and developing 19 First Team All-Americans. UConn only had had one winning season before Auriemma and Dailey took over the team.

Current UConn player Kia Nurse spoke to the NCAA about Dailey:

“CD is incredible for this program. You come here, you meet her, you’re in the program and you see what she does every day -- her ability to do the team-building stuff, the off-the-court stuff, and make sure you’re ready to enter the real world after you leave this place.”

DeMoss’ coaching career has spanned over 40 years, including 20 years total as an assistant at the University of Tennessee. While at Tennessee, the Lady Vols won six national championships and made it to the Final Four 13 different times.

“It is a tremendous honor to be selected into this class of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Basketball continues to be a big part of my life. I’ve had so many great opportunities to work with so many outstanding coaches and players. Being in the Class of 2018 is truly an honor.”

Barry was the longtime coach at Colorado. In 22 years with the program, Barry led the team to 12 NCAA Tournaments, including six Sweet 16s and three Elite Eight appearances.

Barry told the Daily Camera the following on her induction:

“It’s humbling and I’m just really thrilled about it. Coaching was such a high point of my life. I have so many fond memories, especially at CU. … At Colorado, it was my life. I committed myself and it made me think about all the coaches and players, and it was like a family.”

Battaglia coached for over 30 years in New Jersey, recording 702 wins and a .745 winning percentage.