Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi, two-time MLB All-Star J.J. Hardy and five-time NFL Pro Bowler Michael Bates will be part of the seven-member class of inductees for the 2026 Arizona Sports Hall of Fame that was announced on Wednesday.
Taurasi spent her entire 20-year WNBA career with the Mercury. She won three championships, was named a league MVP, a two-time finals MVP, an 11-time All-Star and won six Olympic gold medals as a member of the U.S. women’s national basketball team.
Taurasi is the third member of the Mercury organization to be inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame. Former Phoenix general manager Ann Meyers Drysdale and former player Jennifer Gillom were inducted in 2020 and 2022, respectively.
Members of the 2026 Arizona Sports Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted on April 9.
Members in 2026 Arizona Sports Hall of Fame class
Diana Taurasi: Taurasi retired in February 2025 and is the all-time leading scorer in WNBA history.
Michael Bates: A multi-sport athlete at Arizona, Bates won a bronze medal in the 200-meter dash at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Bates later played 11 years in the NFL as a return specialist and was a five-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro.
Frank Busch: Busch served as the head coach for the Wildcats’ men’s and women’s swimming teams from 1989 to 2011. He led the men’s and women’s teams to an NCAA championship in 2008.
Craig Girard: Girard, who was born in Tempe, is an eight-time world champion in skydiving.
J.J. Hardy: A standout at Sabino High School in Tucson, Hardy played 13 MLB seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles. He was a two-time All-Star, a Silver Slugger Award winner and won three Gold Glove awards.
Michael Pantalione: Pantalione was the inaugural men’s soccer coach at Yavapai College who won seven national titles and has the highest winning percentage in collegiate soccer history (.893) with an all-time record of 636-63-30.
George Young: An Arizona alumnus, Young competed in four Olympic Games and earned a bronze medal in the steeplechase at the 1968 Summer Olympics.
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