WATCH: Lobo and McGraw Give Heartfelt Hall of Fame Speeches

With humility and humor, basketball icons Rebecca Lobo and Muffet McGraw gave heartfelt speeches last night as part of their induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Naturally, both women devoted much of their speeches to thanking their families, colleagues and past coaches.  Lobo, an ESPN basketball analyst, said she wouldn’t have made it without UConn’s Geno Auriemma.  McGraw, the head women’s basketball coach at Notre Dame, said her only decision better than going to South Bend was marrying her husband.  Lobo and McGraw also noted the strength of their mothers who both provided unconditional and unwavering support in the face of challenges including cancer.

The two women have played pivotal roles championing women’s basketball for more than two decades. McGraw credited Title IX legislation with giving women more opportunities while Lobo shared an anecdote illustrating the impact of those opportunities.  When observing her father watching a UConn men’s basketball game, Lobo’s daughter asked if those were boys playing basketball.  When told yes, she said that she didn’t know that boys played basketball too.  Lobo added that the WNBA means more to her now that she has three girls who play the game.

Hall of Famers Geno Auriemma and Ann Meyers presented Lobo and McGraw respectively.