MIES (Switzerland) - Two-time FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup winner and double Olympic champion Katrina McClain is being inducted to the FIBA Hall of Fame in recognition of her stellar career.

A towering forward who lit it up at all levels, from the College game to club basketball around the world, but most prominently on the international stage, McClain was a colossus during her ear and lay down a legacy that is still admired intensely today.

During 1986 in the Soviet Union and during 1990 in Malaysia, she secured successive FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup titles, famously pouring in 23 points during the Final of the latter in Kuala Lumpur. She was also named to the All-Star Five at the 1994 edition when taking bronze in Australia.

McClain featured at three separate Olympic Games, winning gold twice

A three-time Olympian, either side of a bronze at Barcelona 1992, McClain won gold medals at Seoul 1988 and also Atlanta 1996.  On her debut in Korea she led USA in both scoring and rebounding, posting a tremendous tournament double-double. 

Meanwhile the the level of esteem in which she was held was clearly demonstrated when she was elected as one of eight individuals to carry the IOC flag into the stadium during Opening Ceremony of the 1996 Games on home soil in the USA. It was a special time for McClain since she was also co-captain of the gold medal winning side too.

McClain won Olympic gold as co-captain in 1996 and carried the IOC flag at the opening ceremony on home soil in Atlanta

McClain had started her journey starring in College basketball with the University of Georgia where all kinds of individual honors came her way. More than 35 years after she signed off this chapter of her career and the NCAA still hands out an accolade in her honor every year to the best power forward.

A EuroLeague Women champion, McClain played in Spain, Italy and Turkey - as well as in Japan.

Capturing countless individual awards during her career she was twice named as the USA Basketball Player of the Year and has been inducted into multiple Halls of Fame already - including the Naismith Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. 

The former USA star is being enshrined in the Class of 2023 that includes Amaya Valdemoro (Spain), Yuko Oga (Japan), Penny Taylor (Australia), Wlamir Marques (Brazil), Yao Ming (China), Liem Tjien Siong / Sonny Hendrawan (Indonesia), Angelo Monteiro dos Santos Victoriano (Angola); with both Carlos Loyzaga (Philippines) and Zurab Sakandelidze (Georgia) being inducted posthumously.  The Class also includes deserved recognition for coaching duo Valerie Garnier (France) and Alessandro Gamba (Italy).

FIBA