Rush led her team to titles in the early '70s despite playing with no gym, and one set of uniforms. She could only take eight players to the first championship tournament, and had to fly standby.

"I accept this honor for all of the women who coached and played so many years ago, who have been forgotten, whose scores and skills have never been brought to the fore, but they played for the love of the game," she said.

Davidson, whose teams have won three NBA titles and two in the WNBA, enters the Hall of Fame as a contributor. He played a key role in structuring the NBA's salary cap and free agency systems. Davidson was also among the first owners to put NBA teams on private planes and luxury boxes closer to the court in arenas.

Long overdue

Hall of Fame Class of 2008

The seven hoops heroes inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., on Friday include:

• Adrian Dantley, NBA player

• Hakeem Olajuwon, NBA player

• Patrick Ewing, NBA player

• Pat Riley, NBA coach

• Dick Vitale, broadcaster

• Bill Davidson, NBA/WNBA owner

• Cathy Rush, college coach

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Contributing: Jody Genessy