NEW ORLEANS – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame today announced New Orleans Pelicans Vice President of Basketball Operations & Team Development Swin Cash as one of its 13 honorees in the Class of 2022 to be celebrated September 9-10 during this year’s Enshrinement festivities in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Class Announcement was made in New Orleans, La., the site of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Final Four and was televised live on ESPN2.
Cash, a four-time WNBA All-Star (2003, 2005, 2009, 2011) and two-time Olympic gold medalist (2004, 2012), won three WNBA championships during her 15-year career with the Detroit Shock (2003, 2006) and Seattle Storm (2010), two NCAA National Championships at the University of Connecticut (2000, 2002) and a Gold Medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championships. Cash was recognized as one of the 20 best WNBA players of all time in 2016 as she was twice named WNBA All-Star Game MVP (2009, 2011) and twice received All-WNBA Second Team (2003-2004) honors. During her collegiate career, she was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player and received Kodak First Team All-America honors in 2002 after UConn won their third national title in program history after finishing the season a perfect 39-0. In 2021, Cash was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
“Swin is beyond deserving of this honor, and we are so happy for her and her family,” said Pelicans Governor Gayle Benson. “A champion at every level, we are so proud of what Swin has accomplished and continues to contribute to the game of basketball and our Pelicans family.”
Along with Cash, this year’s class includes includes two-time NBA All-Star and four-time NBA champion Manu Ginobili, five-time NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway, two-time NCAA National Coach of the Year Bob Huggins, the NBA’s sixth-winningest coach of all-time George Karl, longtime NBA referee Hugh Evans, five-time WNBA All-Star, three-time WNBA Champion, and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Lindsay Whalen, and NCAA national champion and WNBA Coach of the Year Marianne Stanley.
Distinguished committees focused on preserving all areas from the game also selected five directly elected enshrines. They include Lou Hudson from the Veterans Committee, Larry Costello and Del Harris from the Contributor Committee, Theresa Shank-Grentz from the Women’s Veterans Committee and Radivoje Korac from the International Committee.
“Year after year, we are constantly reminded of the extraordinary and transcendent efforts of the remarkable men and women who have impacted the game of basketball from a global perspective,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “The Class of 2022 is ripe with individuals who have had a significant historical impact on the game we love. We congratulate and thank them for everything they’ve done to better the sport and look forward to honoring them during Enshrinement this fall.”
To be elected, North American and Women’s Committee finalists must receive 18 of 24 votes from the
Honors Committee for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Direct elect committees are incorporated into the election process to maintain a strong focus on keeping history on the forefront of the voting procedures and to preserve a balance between two eras of basketball.
The Class of 2022 will be enshrined during festivities in Springfield, Mass., the Birthplace of Basketball, on September 9-10, 2022. Ticket packages to the 2022 Enshrinement Ceremony and all the Enshrinement events are on sale now and available at Hoophall.com/events/enshrinement-2022/.
{Courtesy: release from the New Orleans Pelicans}