UNCASVILLE, CT – Chamique Holdsclaw still remembers the phone call from legendary Lady Vols basketball coach Pat Summitt after Candace Parker committed to Tennessee. Summitt knew she had another generational talent on her hands just like she did with Holdsclaw a decade earlier. "She called me and she said, 'We got this one, and this one, she’s going to change the game,' " Holdsclaw said Aug. 14 ahead of her Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement. And Parker did as a 6-foot-4 forward who could play any position, including point guard, forever changing the mold of versatility in the women's game as a big guard. But Parker grew up watching Holdsclaw do it first, and now they're in the same Naismith Hall of Fame class.
The induction ceremony is Aug. 15 (7 p.m. ET, NBA TV) in Springfield, Massachusetts. Parker loved watching the way Holdsclaw moved on the court, her athleticism unmatched. The 6-3 Holdsclaw could stop on a dime, and there was a purity in her game that enchanted Parker. Holdsclaw was a generational talent, and players at her size didn't move like she did, couldn't dribble and shoot with her ease. Her midrange jumper was in a league of its own when Holdsclaw starred at Tennessee from 1995-99, and she raised the bar for everyone. Parker, who went on to play at Tennessee from 2004-08, used to practice Holdsclaw's moves. Holdsclaw's SLAM cover was hanging in Parker's bedroom in Naperville, Illinois, when it was released in 1998. When Parker was inducted to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in June, it was Holdsclaw there to introduce her. Having both her hall of fame inductions be alongside Holdsclaw has made it all the more meaningful for Parker. "Being able to go in with someone that has meant so much to myself, but also to Coach Summitt and to be with her in this class, I think it's definitely written by Coach," Parker told Knox News. "I think she made sure that this happened. Chamique Holdsclaw, she got a street named after her in Knoxville that I walked past every single day on the way to the arena. So she's inspired me so much, even now." Holdsclaw sees Parker as a little sister. They have always had a connection from the moment they met, which Holdsclaw will never forget. She saw Parker walk through the door and was struck by her size and build. Holdsclaw thought to herself, "If you cut her head off, that's an NBA player's body." Holdsclaw watched with pride as an alum as Parker pushed the evolution of the game forward, playing above the rim, becoming the first woman to dunk in an NCAA Tournament game.
Parker is the only player that Holdsclaw has really seen herself in, she said, which is fitting since Parker is a product of watching Holdsclaw win three straight national championships for the Lady Vols. "You just try to do your best as an athlete and when these young players, they’re like, 'She’s on the cover of SLAM,' same way I did – I had players’ pictures on my wall, seeing how they move and then emulating them and then putting your own sprinkle of magic on it, and that’s what (Parker) did," Holdsclaw said. "It's just great to see what she was able to do for the game." "I think everybody wanted to be like Chamique Holdsclaw," Parker added. When anyone asks Holdsclaw who her pick is for the greatest player of all time, she promises it's not Tennessee bias when she says Parker. Her only bias is being a player who loves big guards and versatility. Parker doesn't disagree that Holdsclaw's inclusion in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is overdue, but she's grateful that it allowed her to be in the same class. "What she's meant to basketball, what she's done in college basketball, especially for University of Tennessee – she's the reason why a lot of people wanted to go there, including myself," Parker said. "And so I'm just happy that she's getting her love and getting her flowers now." Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why it's fitting for Candace Parker, Chamique Holdsclaw to enter Basketball HOF together