1996 US Women's Olympic Basketball Team Inducted Into Hall of Fame
AI-generated image · US National Wire
The gold-medal winning squad served as a catalyst for the professionalization of the sport and the launch of the WNBA.
The 1996 US women’s Olympic basketball team will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this Saturday in Uncasville, Connecticut, as The Guardian first reported.
The team's preparation was a coordinated effort between USA Basketball and the NBA, which sought to establish a women's professional league. Under the leadership of Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer, who took a sabbatical to lead the squad, the team embarked on a year-long international tour to rebuild the program following a semi-final exit at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
The roster, according to The Guardian, consisted of Jennifer Azzi, Dawn Staley, Lisa Leslie, Teresa Edwards, Carla McGhee, Ruthie Bolton, Nikki McCray, Sheryl Swoopes, Venus Lacey, Katy Steding, Rebecca Lobo, and Katrina Felicia McClain. Their gold-medal victory in Atlanta provided critical momentum for the launch of the WNBA, as well as the ABL, a league that briefly overlapped with the WNBA's start.
Dawn Staley told The Guardian that the team felt a sense of responsibility for the growth of professional women's basketball in the U.S. The 1996 victory also initiated a streak of eight consecutive gold medals for USA Basketball.
Joining the 1996 team in the Hall of Fame are Chamique Holdsclaw, Candace Parker, and Elena Delle Donne, as well as NBA coach Doc Rivers, referee Joey Crawford, and former player A’mare Stoudemire. Parker, who described the 1996 team as a catalyst for the existence of women's professional sports, noted that she and Holdsclaw are being inducted alongside their late coach, Pat Summitt.