Sue Bird
Sue Bird retired from basketball as one of, if not the most, decorated women’s basketball players to ever play the sport. Throughout her professional career, she dedicated 20 years to the Seattle Storm, the team that drafted her in 2002 as the first-round first overall pick. As a point guard, she led the team to four WNBA championships and was named to the WNBA All-Star team 13 times. Her professional resume is filled with honors due to the impact she had on the team. In recognition of her selfless contributions to the Seattle Storm, her jersey number 10 was retired on July 23, 2023.
Bird had a long career representing the USA team in various tournaments, including the Olympics. In her fifth Olympic appearance, she served as the USA flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She won five gold medals with Team USA at the Olympics and four gold medals at the World Championship.
Bird played for the UConn Huskies from 1998 to 2002, where she was a two-time National Champion.
Maya Moore
Maya Moore’s impact extends beyond the court and into the courtroom, where she defended the rights of Jonathan Irons, whom she later married. Moore is frequently included in discussions about the greatest players in the game, despite retiring from the sport at her peak at just 29 years old. Her college career at UConn is decorated with honors and awards for her exceptional performances, starting with being named Freshman of the Year in 2007 and earning First Team All-American status for three consecutive years (2008 – 2011).
She won the Naismith College Player of the Year award twice during her college years. In 2011, she was drafted first overall by the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA, where she dedicated the next eight years of her professional career. Despite a relatively short time in the WNBA, she achieved a great deal, including being named Rookie of the Year in 2011, Steals Champion in 2018, and winning the WNBA Championship four times. Additionally, she was named the 2014 WNBA MVP and received the WNBA Finals MVP award in 2013.
Sylvia Fowles
In 2022, Sylvia Fowles signed her final professional contract with the Minnesota Lynx, followed by her announcement of retirement once the season concluded. The center was drafted by the Chicago Sky in 2008 as the second overall pick in the first round, and she remained with the team until the end of the 2014 season, when she was traded to the Minnesota Lynx in 2015. She had a remarkable career in the WNBA, retiring as a two-time WNBA Champion with the Minnesota Lynx, named twice as the WNBA Finals MVP, and once as the WNBA MVP in 2017, among various other honors. She represented the USA in four Olympic Games, helping the team secure gold at the tournaments and maintain the USA’s dominance in basketball worldwide.
Her college career mirrored her professional success, filled with accolades, which led the LSU Lady Tigers to retire her jersey in 2017. Her Minnesota Lynx jersey was also retired on June 11, 2023.
About the Award
The Naismith Hall of Fame Award is an honor given to individuals who have had an extraordinary impact on the game of basketball, influencing both on and off the court. This award is named in honor of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball.
