Ranking the 2023 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame finalists

12. Marian Washington

While Washington’s achievements may seem small among these giants of the game, they are nothing short of impressive. The former coach led the University of Kansas to a school-record 560 wins over 31 seasons which included 11 NCAA Tournament appearances and two trips to the women’s Sweet 16. She also served as an assistant coach for Team USA’s gold medal-winning squad in the 1996 Olympics, becoming the first African American to coach on a U.S. Olympic women’s basketball staff.

While her achievements are significant, the lack of championships costs Washington a higher spot on this list when up against some of the greatest players and coaches of all time.

I spy 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬👀

Former #KUwbb head coach and @WBHOF Hall of Famer
𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻 paid us a visit today 🤗🏀

📸➝ https://t.co/NmXV1tZguE#RockChalk x @ncaawbb pic.twitter.com/VW798iXNwC

— Kansas Women's Basketball (@KUWBball) November 21, 2019