Rumors

Last year, she joined the Storm ownership group as a minority investor and in May was named the first managing director of the USA Basketball women’s team. On Sept. 5-6, Bird will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. “Basketball has given me more than I can ever give back, but like everyone before me, I’ve tried to leave it in a better place,” Bird said two weeks ago in Knoxville, Tenn., when she was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. “I hope I’ve shown young girls they can be fierce competitors and gracious teammates. That they can be strong and vulnerable. That they can lead and listen. And that they can pursue their dreams relentlessly, while lifting others up along the way.”

Seattle Times

Only one other woman in basketball history has her name associated with the NBA. Denise Long was drafted as a high school senior by the San Francisco (now Golden State) Warriors in 1969. Walter Kennedy, the NBA commissioner, blocked the pick. That makes Harris the only woman officially drafted in the NBA. Harris also became the first Black woman enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, in 1992, in Springfield, Mass. Her presenter was Oscar Robertson, the basketball idol whom she used to sneak and watch on those late nights. Harris was enshrined in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.

USA Today Sports

What David Stern did for the sport of basketball transcended any gender bias and opened a whole new world for women in the game. NBA commissioner from 1984 to 2014, Stern was the key figure in the formation and operation of the WNBA in 1997. That bold move paved the way for Stern, who died Jan. 1, 2020, to be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday night. Stern was joined in the induction class by former players Tamika Catchings, Swin Cash, Lauren Jackson and Debbie Brock, along with contributors Carol Callan, Sue Donohoe and Carol Stiff.

ESPN

Late NBA Commissioner David Stern has been added to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame induction class. Commissioner of the NBA from 1984-2014, Stern was Instrumental in the founding of the WNBA and a longtime supporter of the women’s game. He died Jan. 1 at age 77 a few weeks after a brain hemorrhage. The enshrinement of the Class of 2020 has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic until next year. The ceremony will be held on June 12, 2021.

Yahoo! Sports

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame has postponed its June 2020 induction ceremony until next year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Class of 2020 will now become the Class of 2021 and be inducted into the hall in Knoxville, Tennessee, on June 12, 2021. There will be no additional members added for next year.

ESPN

Donovan was in Knoxville, Tennessee, this past weekend for the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame induction of Rose Marie Battaglia, her former high school coach in Paramus. "Anne was a person with strong faith, courageous spirit, a giving heart and love for everyone," Donovan's family said in its statement. "We are so proud of her accomplishments as a women's basketball player and coach, but even more proud of her character, integrity, humility and kindness. "We appreciate your respect for our family's privacy during this very sad time."

ESPN