Diana Taurasi Leads 2027 Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Class

Diana Taurasi headlines 2027 Women's Basketball Hall of Fame class.

The Hall of Fame, based in Knoxville, Tennessee, announced the six-person class on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

Taurasi is the WNBA's all-time leading scorer.

She spent her entire professional career with the Phoenix Mercury.

She won three WNBA championships with the Mercury.

Taurasi was an All-WNBA selection 14 times.

She led the league in scoring five times.

She is the WNBA's all-time leader in three-pointers and free throws made.

She is widely regarded as one of the best women's basketball players ever.

She is also known as the league's greatest trash talker.

Before the WNBA, Taurasi played at the University of Connecticut.

She became one of the best players to come through coach Geno Auriemma's storied program.

Taurasi led UConn to three national championships.

She was twice the Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four.

She was the consensus National Player of the Year in 2003.

Taurasi owns more Olympic gold medals than any other basketball player in history.

She has six Olympic gold medals.

She also has three FIBA World Cup gold medals.

While playing overseas in Russia and Turkey, she won six EuroLeague championships.

Taurasi retired on February 25, 2025.

She is the only WNBA player with more than 10,000 career points.

The 2027 class also includes Sandy Brondello.

Brondello is a two-time WNBA champion coach.

She won a title alongside Taurasi with the Phoenix Mercury in 2014.

She led the New York Liberty to their first title in 2024.

She also won a Commissioner's Cup crown with the Liberty in 2023.

Brondello is currently the head coach of the Toronto Tempo.

She became the first head coach in Tempo history in 2025.

The Tempo went 11-33 in their inaugural season.

Brondello has represented Australia as both a player and coach.

She led the Australian Opals to Olympic bronze in 2024.

She also led them to FIBA World Cup silver medals in 2018 and 2022.

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

She has coached in the WNBA since 2005.

She has spent 14 of those seasons as a head coach.

She won Coach of the Year in 2014.

She has made four WNBA Finals appearances.

As a player, Brondello was a one-time WNBA All-Star.

She was also a WNBL MVP and a three-time Olympic medalist.

The class includes Mike Thibault.

Thibault is a three-time WNBA Coach of the Year.

He has won championships with the Washington Mystics and other teams.

He is one of the winningest coaches in WNBA history.

The class includes referee Dee Kantner.

Kantner has been a longtime official in the WNBA and NCAA.

She is one of the most respected referees in women's basketball.

The class includes Dr. Judith Holland.

Holland was the former director of women's athletics at UCLA.

She is recognized as a trailblazing administrator in women's sports.

The class includes Molly Bolin Kazmer.

She was nicknamed "Machine Gun Molly."

Bolin Kazmer was arguably the greatest to play the 6-on-6 version of girls' and women's basketball.

That version was popular for decades in states like Texas, Oklahoma and Iowa.

As a senior at Moravia High School in Iowa, Bolin averaged 54.8 points per game.

She later played in the Women's Professional Basketball League and the World Basketball League.

"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," Marciniak said.

The induction ceremony will be held Saturday, June 26, 2027, in Knoxville.

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame was founded in 1999.

It is built on honoring the greatest players, coaches, contributors and officials in women's basketball history.

The hall is located in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The 2027 class brings together elite scorers, championship-winning coaches, a pioneering referee and a builder of the game.

Taurasi's inclusion was widely expected after her retirement in 2025.

Her resume is unmatched in the sport's history.

No other basketball player, male or female, has won six Olympic gold medals.

Her 10,000-plus career points in the WNBA set a standard that may stand for decades.

She led the league in scoring five times.

She made 14 All-WNBA teams.

She won three WNBA titles.

She won three NCAA titles.