The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame just unveiled its list of nominees for the Class of 2026, and it features some familiar names that left a lasting mark on Washington basketball. Headlining the group: former Mystics star Elena Delle Donne, longtime WNBA coach and executive Mike Thibault, and legendary NBA coach Dick Motta.
Let’s start with Delle Donne - a name that still echoes in D.C. hoops circles. She spent a decade in the WNBA (2013-2023), suiting up for the Chicago Sky before becoming the face of the Washington Mystics.
Her résumé speaks volumes: two league MVPs, a 50/40/90 season, and a WNBA title in 2019 that capped off one of the most dominant individual runs in league history. That championship wasn’t just a team milestone - it was a moment of validation for a player who battled through injuries and still found ways to elevate her game when it mattered most.
Since stepping away from the court, Delle Donne hasn’t exactly slowed down. She’s now serving as an advisor with Monumental Basketball and holds the role of Managing Director for the USA Basketball women’s national team - a fitting next chapter for someone whose basketball IQ is as sharp as her jumper.
Then there’s Mike Thibault, the winningest coach in WNBA history and the architect behind some of the league’s most consistent teams. His coaching run spanned two decades, first with the Connecticut Sun (2003-2012) and then with the Mystics (2013-2022).
Under his watch, the Sun made two trips to the Finals, and the Mystics followed with back-to-back Finals appearances in 2018 and 2019 - finally breaking through with that long-awaited championship in '19. Thibault’s teams were known for their discipline, ball movement, and ability to adapt - trademarks of a coach who always seemed one step ahead.
Now, Thibault is taking his talents overseas, leading the Belgium women’s national team. But his impact on the WNBA - and specifically on the growth of the Mystics franchise - is already cemented.
Rounding out the trio of nominees is Dick Motta, a coaching icon whose fingerprints are all over NBA history. Motta’s career spanned three decades, and he’s best remembered in Washington for guiding the then-Bullets to their only NBA title in 1978. He earned NBA Coach of the Year honors back in 1971 and brought a no-nonsense, defensive-minded approach that resonated with every team he led - from the Chicago Bulls to the Dallas Mavericks to the Denver Nuggets, where he wrapped up his coaching career in 1997.
Motta’s style was gritty and demanding, but it got results. That 1978 championship team was a reflection of its coach - tough, resilient, and unafraid of the moment.
With these three nominees, the Hall of Fame Class of 2026 is shaping up to be a celebration of basketball minds who not only won games but changed the way the game is played, coached, and understood. Washington basketball fans, in particular, have plenty to cheer about - these are names that helped define eras, build legacies, and bring banners to the rafters.