Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash Among 2018 Basketball Hall of Fame Finalists

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday announced 13 finalists for this year's class, headlined by Ray Allen, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash.

Other finalists up for induction in 2018 include Maurice Cheeks, Grant Hill, Kim Mulkey, Katie Smith, Tina Thompson, Rudy Tomjanovich and Chris Webber.

Former Maryland head coach Lefty Driesell, referee Hugh Evans and the 1954-58 Wayland Baptist University women's team rounded out the finalists.

Nash won two NBA MVP Awards during his 18-year career with the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers. He also led the league in assists six times in an eight-year span from 2004-05 to '11-12.

Allen, who won two NBA titles and was a 10-time All-Star, was named the second-best three-point shooter in NBA history by the league's official website. His 2,973 three-pointers made are the most by any player in NBA or ABA history.

After being drafted No. 2 overall by the Mavericks in 1994, Kidd became one of the NBA's best all-around point guards for 19 seasons. He was named to the All-Star team 10 times and the All-NBA first team five times and was a four-time All-Defensive first-team selection.

Mulkey has been the women's coach at Baylor since 2000. She has led the program to two national titles and a 531-97 record, including a 25-1 mark this season. The 55-year-old also won an Olympic gold medal as part of the 1984 United States women's national team.

Thompson played 17 seasons in the WNBA from its inception in 1997, when she was the league's first-ever draft pick by the Houston Comets, through 2013. She won two Olympic gold medals, in 2004 and 2008.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will unveil the 2018 class during the Final Four on March 31 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.