Mystics’ Delle Donne, Commanders’ Fletcher to be inducted into D.C. Sports Hall of Fame
by Liam Griffin · The Washington TimesThe Washington, D.C. Sports Hall of Fame will welcome a new class later this month, featuring former Mystics’ MVP Elena Delle Donne, gold-medal-winning bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor and ex-Commanders linebacker London Fletcher, organizers announced Monday.
Former Duke and W.T. Woodson High School point guard Tommy Amaker will also be honored alongside the late longtime Maryland high school football coach Al Thomas and the University of Maryland men’s basketball team that won the 2002 NCAA championship.
The honorees will be recognized in a ceremony at Nationals Park on Aug. 30.
“This year’s honorees have made lasting contributions to our area’s sports legacy through the standards they set and the leadership they displayed. It is a great pleasure to welcome them into the D.C. Sports Hall of Fame,” Bobby Goldwater, chair of the local Hall of Fame’s selection committee, said in a statement.
The annual Washington, D.C. Sports Hall of Fame class is chosen by a group of journalists, broadcasters and public relations professionals. To be eligible for the local Hall of Fame, individuals must be nominated for having acclaim in the Washington region.
Delle Donne — who will be enshrined in the nation’s Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday — and Fletcher played the bulk of their professional careers in the District.
Delle Donne led the Mystics to a WNBA title in 2019 as she won her second MVP award. The Delaware native now works with Monumental Sports, the company that owns the Mystics and Wizards, as a senior advisor.
Fletcher anchored the middle of the Commanders’ defense from 2007-2013. He made four Pro Bowl teams in Washington, and his 1,384 career tackles still rank second all-time. The 51-year-old now works as a radio analyst during Commanders games.
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Meyers Taylor starred for George Washington University’s softball team before pivoting to her pursuits in the Winter Olympics. She has secured six Olympic medals, including a gold in this year’s Monobob event at the Milan-Cortino Games.
Amaker made his mark at the high school level in Northern Virginia, starring for W.T. Woodson in Fairfax County before leading Duke to an appearance in the NCAA championship game in 1986. He is currently the head coach of Harvard’s men’s basketball program.
Thomas, who died of cancer in 2016, won a record eight Maryland state football championships during an illustrious coaching career with Seneca Valley, Damascus and Sherwood.
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Liam Griffin
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