Bird, Fowles named headliners of 2025 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class
Lauren Jackson, Yolanda Griffith, and Swin Cash also among 2023 inductees
Sue Bird, widely regarded as the greatest women's basketball point guard of all time, will be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 class, the Hall of Fame announced on Saturday.
Bird's career was one of the most decorated in women's basketball history
Bird played for the Seattle Storm in the WNBA for 21 seasons and helped them to four championships. She also won two Olympic gold medals with the United States in 2004 and 2008 and a bronze medal in 2006. Bird was also inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2022.
Sylvia Fowles joins Bird as a headliner of the Hall of Fame's 2023 class. Fowles, who retired in 2022, played for the Minnesota Lynx and Chicago Sky in the WNBA, winning two championships with the former.
Fowles is the WNBA's all-time leading rebounder and ranks second in blocks. She also represented the U.S. at the Olympics four times, winning gold medals in 2008 and 2012 and a bronze medal in 2020. Fowles was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2023.
Other notable inductees include Lauren Jackson, Yolanda Griffith, and Swin Cash
Jackson, an Australian player, is widely considered one of the greatest female basketball players of all time. She won four Olympic medals with Australia, including gold in 2000 and 2004. Jackson was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010.
Griffith, who played for the Sacramento Monarchs and Seattle Storm in the WNBA, was a three-time All-Star and two-time All-WNBA selection. She won an Olympic gold medal with the U.S. in 2000. Griffith was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2017.
Cash, who played for the Detroit Shock, Seattle Storm, Chicago Sky, and New York Liberty in the WNBA, was a three-time All-Star and two-time All-WNBA selection. She won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S. in 2004 and 2008. Cash was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2021.
