- - Naismith Hall of Fame Class of 2026 finalists: Blake Griffin, Doc Rivers, Candace Parker among 21 candidates left

Jack Baer February 12, 2026 at 6:30 AM

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Candace Parker is a two-time WNBA MVP and three-time WNBA champion. The Naismith Hall of Fame tends to like those. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) (Michael Reaves via Getty Images)

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2026 is coming into focus, with a list of 21 finalists announced Wednesday.

It's a diverse group of recent NBA and WNBA stars, top coaches, older names and other contributors. The headliners include Blake Griffin, Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne, Mike D'Antoni and Kelvin Sampson, all of whom are first-time nominees.

Doc Rivers and Amar'e Stoudemire are among the bigger names getting a second look for induction. The lone referee nominated is the long-controversial Joey Crawford, while the team in the running is the 1996 U.S. women's national team, whose Olympic dominance helped launch the WNBA the following year.

One of those 1996 players, Jennifer Azzi, is also up for individual induction.

The finalists will have their fate decided by the Hall's 24-member Honors Committee. The new class will be announced on April 4 during Final Four weekend.

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 finalistsPlayers -

Jennifer Azzi

Molly Bolin-Kazmer

Tal Brody

Elena Delle Donne*

Blake Griffin*

Chaminique Holdsclaw

Kevin Johnson

Marques Johnson

Candace Parker*

Amar'e Stoudemire

Buck Williams

Coaches -

Mike D’Antoni*

Mark Few

Dušan Ivković

Gary McKnight

Dick Motta

Doc Rivers

Kelvin Sampson*

Jerry Welsh

Referees -

Joey Crawford

Teams -

1996 United States Women’s National Team*

* denotes a first-time nominee

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Source: “AOL Sports”