Former Mercury star Cappie Pondexter, WNBA legend Sue Bird make Hall of Fame
Nov 15, 2024, 5:29 PM
Cappie Pondexter #23 of the Phoenix Mercury attempts to drive the ball around Katie Smith #30 of the Detroit Shock during the WNBA game at US Airways Center on July 18, 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
WNBA greats Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles, Cappie Pondexter and Alana Beard headline the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025 that was announced Friday.
Also inducted on June 14 will be Mark Campbell, the longtime Union University coach, as well as Lucille Kyvallos, who led West Chester College and Queens College to early success. Women’s Basketball Coaches Association executive director Danielle Donehew completes the class.
“We are honored to pay tribute to seven distinguished legends of this exceptional sport,” WBHOF President Dana Hart said. “They exemplify the highest standards in women’s basketball and have made substantial contributions to the sport along with shaping the game’s historical trajectory.”
On the court, Cappie left her mark on the game with her distinctive style of play, 2 championships with the @PhoenixMercury and a Finals MVP 🏆
Off the court, she influenced the culture of the #WNBA, trailblazing the game-day fits ✨ #W25 pic.twitter.com/JpVtiymO8a
— WNBA (@WNBA) September 26, 2021
Bird has won at every level, including five Olympic gold medals, four WNBA championships with Seattle and two NCAA titles while at UConn.
The 12-time All-Star, who also won four world championships with the U.S., retired in 2022. That was the same season that Fowles ended her playing career.
Pondexter won two WNBA championships with Phoenix in 2007 and 2009 and was the Finals MVP the first time. She was drafted second by Phoenix in 2006 after starring at Rutgers. She averaged 23.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists in the 2007 WNBA Finals, when Phoenix beat Detroit in five games.
She earned Big East Player of the Year honors while starring for Rutgers and led the Scarlet Knights to a 97-22 record and consecutive conference titles in 2005 and 2006. She won Olympic gold in 2008 with Bird and Fowles.
Fowles won WNBA titles with Minnesota in 2015 and 2017 and was MVP of the Finals both times. She also was on four of the Olympic champion teams with Bird. The former LSU star was on the WNBA all-defensive team eight times.
Beard was a two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. She won a WNBA title with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2016.
