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Lauren Jackson, Val Ackerman, Yolanda Griffith among candidates for Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021

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If things go according to plan, the ceremonies for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021 will occur in September of said year (with enshrinements for the Class of 2020 scheduled for May).

If things go according to plan, several from the women’s basketball realm could be on the list of enshrinees.

The Springfield, Massachusetts-based Hall of Fame unveiled its list of candidates for the Class of 2021 – and they include those several from the women’s hoops ranks including Lauren Jackson, Val Ackerman and Yolanda Griffith.

The list of nominations from the women’s committee also include current Indiana Fever coach Marianne Stanley as well as current Baylor women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey (as a player). Also returning to the ballot are Swin Cash and Becky Hammon. Also on the list is “Showtime” Michael Cooper – who made a foray into the WNBA once upon a time as coach of the Los Angeles Sparks (where he won a championship in 2001) and Atlanta Dream.

Jackson was a Top 20@20 honoree in 2016 and her No. 15 was retired by the Seattle Storm, where she won two WNBA championships. She also won four WNBL MVPs and four WNBL Grand Final MVPs. Jackson made a combined 12 All-Star appearances between her seven in the WNBA and her five in the WNBL. She also won silver medals for Australia at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics along with a bronze in 2012. She has become the head of Basketball Australia’s Women in Basketball and is also a soon-to-be inductee into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Ackerman was the first and, to this day, longest serving WNBA league president/commissioner as she was in that post from 1996-2005. She is now the current commissioner of the Big East.

Griffith, considered one of the most proficient rebounders in history, was a second overall pick by the Sacramento Monarchs and was voted one of the 20 Greatest in WNBA history in 2016 – the WNBA’s 20th anniversary season. In 2005, she won a championship with the Monarchs in addition to Finals MVP. She was an eight-time WNBA All-Star and her career also included late stints with the Storm and Fever. She also won two gold medals with Team USA in 2000 and 2004 at the Olympics. She is currently the coach at Boston College.

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