Diana Taurasi and Sandy Brondello lead 2027 Hall of Fame class

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame announced its 2027 induction class on Thursday.

Diana Taurasi and Sandy Brondello headline a six-person group that will be enshrined in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Taurasi, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in basketball history, becomes the ninth UConn women's basketball alum to enter the Hall.

She joins Geno Auriemma (2006), Rebecca Lobo (2010), Jennifer Rizzotti (2013), Kara Wolters (2017), Chris Dailey (2018), Swin Cash (2021), Maya Moore (2024) and Sue Bird (2025).

"In my mind, the greatest basketball player ever to play college basketball," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said at the Final Four last year in Phoenix.

"And maybe the greatest WNBA player of all time."

The induction ceremony is scheduled for June 26, 2027, at the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville.

Taurasi's resume is unmatched in women's basketball.

At UConn, she led the Huskies to three consecutive NCAA championships in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

In the WNBA, she played 20 seasons, won three titles (2007, 2009, 2014) and earned 11 All-Star selections.

She retired in 2025 as the league's all-time leading scorer with 10,646 points.

With Team USA, Taurasi is the only basketball player — male or female — to win six Olympic gold medals.

She also owns three FIBA World Championship gold medals.

Brondello, head coach of the Toronto Tempo, enters the Hall after a decorated career as both a player and coach.

She won a WNBA championship as a player with the Phoenix Mercury in 2014, coached alongside Taurasi.

As a head coach, she led the New York Liberty to their first title in 2024 and won the Commissioner's Cup in 2023.

Brondello was named WNBA Coach of the Year in 2014.

She has made four WNBA Finals appearances across her coaching career.

Brondello also represented Australia as both a player and coach.

She led the Opals to Olympic bronze in 2024 and FIBA World Cup silver medals in 2018 and 2022.

On October 20, 2026, Brondello was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

She became the first head coach in Toronto Tempo history in 2025, taking over the expansion franchise after parting ways with New York.

The Tempo went 11-33 in their inaugural season, marking the first time Brondello missed the playoffs as a head coach, snapping a streak of 12 consecutive postseason appearances.

The 2027 class also includes Mike Thibault, Dee Kantner, Dr. Judith Holland and Molly Bolin Kazmer.

Mike Thibault is a longtime WNBA coach and executive who won two championships with the Connecticut Sun and Washington Mystics.

Dee Kantner is a pioneering women's basketball official who worked multiple NCAA Final Fours and Olympic Games.

Dr. Judith Holland was a key administrator and advocate for women's sports at UCLA.

Molly Bolin Kazmer was a star in the Women's Basketball League (WBL), the first professional women's basketball league in the U.S.

"For nearly thirty years, the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame has honored the greatest of the game, and we are thrilled to welcome these six inductees into the distinguished seats of the Hall of Fame," said Michelle Marciniak, CEO of the WBHOF, in a statement.

"Selection for this esteemed recognition celebrates the hard work, success, and record-breaking journeys for those to join this global class."

"We cannot wait to welcome the Class of 2027."

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

It honors players, coaches, contributors and officials who have shaped women's basketball.

Taurasi's induction was widely expected once she became eligible this year.

Her former UConn teammate Sue Bird was inducted in 2025, and Swin Cash entered in 2021.

Both Bird and Cash are also members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Taurasi is considered a lock for the Naismith Hall when she becomes eligible.

During her time at UConn, Auriemma once said of Taurasi: "You could put her anywhere on the floor and she would be the best player in the country at that position."

Her 2002 UConn team finished 39-0 and is considered one of the greatest in program history.

That team featured seven future WNBA players.