The Class Of 2025: Introducing The Women Inductees Of The LGBTQ Sports Hall Of Fame
Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi are among the top tier of queer women being honored this year.
After a ten-year hiatus, the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame is back—and it’s making its return count. This summer, a powerhouse group of women will be inducted in a celebratory Las Vegas event, honoring not only their athletic brilliance but their lasting impact on queer visibility in sports.
The Hall of Fame first launched in 2013 with a star-studded inaugural class that included Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova. Now, a new generation of icons take the spotlight—women whose names have become synonymous with power, leadership, and unapologetic queer pride.
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At the top of the list is Sue Bird, arguably the most decorated basketball player in WNBA history. Over her two-decade career with the Seattle Storm, Bird won four WNBA Championships, five Olympic gold medals, and became the league’s all-time leader in assists. Beyond her stat sheet, Bird’s steady leadership has indeed crowned her the beacon of queer representation she is in pro sports.
Joining her is Diana Taurasi, the fierce and fearless Phoenix Mercury guard known simply as “The GOAT” by fans. Taurasi has claimed three WNBA titles, six Olympic golds, and still holds the record for the most points scored in league history. With her signature swagger and competitive fire, Taurasi helped redefine what greatness looks like in women’s basketball.
Layshia Clarendon is being honored not only for their performance across six WNBA teams, but also for their advocacy at the intersection of race, gender, and queerness. An All-Star and former WNBPA vice president, Clarendon made history as the first openly nonbinary player in the league and has been a fearless voice for trans inclusion and Black liberation.
Behind the scenes, Helen Carroll has been a quiet giant in the movement for LGBTQ inclusion in sports. A former national championship-winning basketball coach, Carroll went on to lead the sports project at the National Center for Lesbian Rights and co-founded the LGBTQ Sports Coalition. Her tireless work has transformed policy and practice across collegiate and professional sports.
Violet Palmer shattered one of the toughest glass ceilings in American sports, becoming the first woman to officiate an NBA game. Over a two-decade career, Palmer officiated more than 900 NBA games and multiple WNBA Finals, bringing professionalism, poise, and visibility to women in elite-level officiating.
Pat Griffin, a devoted advocate and scholar, has dedicated her life to fighting for the rights of LGBTQ athletes and coaches. A former athlete and coach herself, Griffin authored pivotal research on homophobia in sports as well as co-founded “Changing the Game”, a landmark initiative for queer youth in athletics.
Finally, Sue Rankin helped change the landscape of college athletics as one of the first openly gay NCAA Division I head coaches. During her 17 years at Penn State, she led the softball program while simultaneously building a career in academia, producing critical research on campus climate and LGBTQ inclusion in higher education and sports.
In a public statement Scott Bova, Chair of the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame, called this year’s honorees “not just athletes and advocates—they are trailblazers,” emphasizing their role in reshaping the future of queer inclusion in sports.
The 2025 LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame ceremony will take place in Las Vegas this August, hosted by the Sports Equality Foundation.
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