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Katie Smith, Tina Thompson among 10 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame finalists

By Howard Megdal

HOUSTON - AUGUST 2: Katie Smith
HOUSTON - AUGUST 2: Katie Smith /
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A bumper crop of some of the finest contributors in the history of the game, including Katie Smith and Chamique Holdsclaw, were selected as ten finalists for 2018 induction into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

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Smith and Tina Thompson, also named to the list of finalists, finished their WNBA careers among the top five in the history of the league in win shares. Smith collected 59.6 win shares over a career that included two championships and a WNBA Finals MVP, while Thompson finished with 60.5 win shares, trailing only Lauren Jackson and Tamika Catchings among WNBA players all-time.

Holdsclaw, meanwhile, finished with three national championships at Tennessee, followed by a six-time all star run as a pro.

Among players, the list also includes Kentucky legend Valerie Still, Auburn star Vickie Orr and versatile Russian big Yelena Baranova, who won a gold medal with Russia back in 1992.

The list also recognizes a number of coaches, including the remarkable Chris Dailey, longtime assistant at Connecticut, and Mickie DeMoss, integral contributor at Tennessee. Both toiled in the shadows of Geno Auriemma and Pat Summitt, respectively, but recognizing their work is long overdue.

Ceal Barry, who led the Colorado Buffaloes to a Final Four and won Big Eight Coach of the Year honors four times, also made the list, as did longtime coach Rose Marie Battaglia, who won a pair of state championships at Paramus Catholic High School with a center named Anne Donovan.

The Class of 2018 selections will be announced February 12, during the Louisville at Connecticut game, and induction will take place on June 9.

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