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Current players pay tribute to trio of WNBA legends entering Naismith Hall of Fame
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- Current players pay tribute to trio of WNBA legends entering Naismith Hall of Fame
When the 2025 Naismith Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony commences on Sept. 6 in Springfield, Massachusetts, three names will be forever immortalized in basketball history: Maya Moore, Sue Bird and Sylvia Fowles.
The Class of 2025, which also includes NBA stars Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard and 2008 U.S. Olympics men's basketball team, is the first to feature three women. Each has more than earned their spot in basketball history.
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Moore was a six-time WNBA All-Star with the Minnesota Lynx , who won four championships and was named the 2013 WNBA Finals MVP and 2014 WNBA MVP.
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Bird played 19 seasons with the Seattle Storm , racking up 13 All-Star nods and four championships. She is also the WNBA leader in minutes and games played.
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Fowles, who played center with the Lynx and Chicago Sky , was an eight-time All-Star, four-time Defensive Player of the Year, 2017 MVP and won two titles while winning Finals MVP honors.
In an interview with USA TODAY Sports, Fowles said she's happy her hard work paid off but admitted the accolades feel a bit curious.
"I was raised to not be praised by doing your job," said Fowles, who holds the WNBA record for career field-goal percentage (59.9%). "I feel like I've done my job, but now people want to celebrate me. So it kind of feels weird to be getting praised for doing your job."
If Fowles' job was to rewrite WNBA history books, consider the mission accomplished. The impact the Hall of Fame center and her fellow enshrinees have had on the WNBA has been passed to the next generation. USA TODAY spoke to several WNBA players who shared what the trio means to them. From their dominant play on the hardwood to their off-court passions, the spirit of the Class of 2025 lives on."I remember being a rookie, [Fowles] would always check in with me, see how I was doing, see how I was adjusting, give me some words of encouragement," Atlanta Dream center Brittney Griner said. "It meant a lot because I looked up to her. If I had to be compared to anybody, I would want it to be [her]."
"She's one of my GOATs," Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers said of Moore.
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"Definitely growing up in Minnesota, watching the Lynx, watching her play, wanting to fill her shoes at UConn, wanting to fill her shoes in the W. Then, just who she is off the court as well. How much she's done for social justice ... and just using basketball as a platform to do other great things in life."
Moore spent eight seasons in the WNBA before walking away to become an advocate for criminal justice reform. Her work included helping Jonathan Irons, who spent more than two decades in prison following a wrongful conviction. Irons was released in July 2020 and he married Moore. The couple continues to use their platform to elevate their prison ministry and passion for social justice.
Fowles has also dedicated time to social justice efforts, including calling out systemic racism and improving relationships between communities of color and law enforcement. With the Lynx, she advocated for and encouraged open dialogue around several high-profile initiatives, such as the "Say Her Name" campaign dedicated to honoring Breonna Taylor, who was killed in 2020 .
"The impact they made in the city, for the Lynx as a franchise, and standing up for what's right, I think that was those two putting themselves in the forefront [and it] was huge for our franchise," Minnesota forward Bridget Carleton , who played with Fowles, said."It's risky to put themselves out there and stand up for what they believe is right and what is right. It goes far beyond what they did on the court."
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Like Fowles and Moore, Bird has dedicated her life toward pushing for equality and justice, especially in women's sports. The WNBA career assists leader also keeps a pulse on the league by attending games and connecting with current players like Bueckers.
"Her leadership is something that I've always admired," the Wings guard said of Bird. "How much she gets the best out of her teammates. How much she leads from example, but also by using her voice and to be able to pick her brain about that ― gain knowledge from her in all aspects of that as well ― is something that I've really learned from."
The trio will receive their flowers from some of basketball's biggest names. Bird will be presented at the Hall of Fame by Geno Auriemma (Class of 2006) and Swin Cash ('22), Fowles by former Lynx teammates Katie Smith ('18) and Lindsey Whalen ('22) and Moore by Auriemma, Cash, Whalen and Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings ('20).
Fowles is familiar with pouring into others. The veteran spent many years of her WNBA career paying it forward, as so many did for her. Her legacy and, ultimately, her Hall of Fame enshrinement is a direct reflection of that conscience choice.
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"From an early age, I already knew it wasn't about me, and that it was bigger than me, the sport of basketball."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles honored to enter Hall of Fame
