Hammon, Stills, Smith and Thompson: A look at the newest Hoop Hall nominees
By Erica Ayala
![SPRINGFIELD, MA - SEPTEMBER 8: A general view of Symphony Hall during the 2017 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony on September 8, 2017 at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) SPRINGFIELD, MA - SEPTEMBER 8: A general view of Symphony Hall during the 2017 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony on September 8, 2017 at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/5ee999348288b70eda776e0e5830475d9c01b18c046b3704b29bfd8d2308bf67.jpg)
Teresa Weatherspoon (PLA)
There are few players more synonymous with a franchise than T-Spoon is with the New York Liberty. She spent eight years in the WNBA after being selected as the 10th overall pick by the New York Liberty in the inaugural WNBA Draft. She was a four-time All-WNBA Second-Team and two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (1997, 1998). Weatherspoon retired as the franchise’s all-time leader in assists (1,306) and steals (453).
Prior to her WNBA years, Weatherspoon won an Olympic Gold Medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, and a Bronze Medal in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain. She currently serves as the Director of Player and Franchise Development for the New York Liberty.
Spoon has impacted almost every level of the game as either as a player, coach or most recently a color analyst. Her basketball IQ is second only to her passion for the game.
Other noteworthy career highlights:
- Inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010
- Coached the Westchester Phantoms of the ABA in 2007
- Spent six seasons as the head women’s basketball coach at her alma mater Louisiana Tech, leading the Lady Techsters to back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths (2010, 2011)
- Voted as one of the Top-15 best and most influential players in WNBA history (2011)
- Voted as one of the Top-20 best and most influential players in WNBA history (2016)