WNBA Icon Tina Thompson Reportedly Will Be Inducted into Naismith Basketball HOF

Tina Thompson is undoubtedly one of the best players in WNBA history and now her name will live on as a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. 

Chris Haynes of ESPN reported the news, adding a list of her biggest accomplishments:

She will be a part of the Class of 2018, which reportedly also includes former NBA players Jason Kidd, Steve Nash and Grant Hill, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Thompson was the first ever pick in the inaugural WNBA draft in 1997 and it turned out to be a good one. She spent the first 12 years of her 17-year professional career with the Houston Comets, also playing for the Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm. Her last season was 2013 in Seattle, in which she earned her ninth All-Star appearance after scoring 14.1 points per game.

She finished her career averaging 15.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest, leading all players in league history in minutes played.

The 43-year-old ranks second all-time with 7,488 points behind only Diana Taurasi (she was first when she retired in 2013), also ranking fourth in career rebounds with 3,070. She and Tamika Catchings are the only players with at least 7,000 points and 3,000 rebounds in their careers.

Meanwhile, her impact went beyond just the WNBA. She helped the United States win Olympic gold medals in 2004 and 2008, also spending time playing in Italy, South Korea, Romania and the EuroLeague.

Thompson will now earn her rightful spot alongside the best basketball players in history.