KNOXVILLE - The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame will have six new members next year after the 2015 inductees were revealed at last weekend's WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix.

Forming the 17th distinct group of entrants, the list is arguably headlined by two players who were truly worldwide names and excelled with their nations on the biggest stage of the FIBA World Championship for Women and Olympic Games.

Brazilian Janeth Arcain and USA legend Lisa Leslie were two of the biggest names in women's basketball during their time and global stars of their era.

Arcain helped lead the Brazil national team to the gold medal at the FIBA World Championship in 1994 and to an Olympic silver medal in 1996 and then a bronze in 2000. She also played eight seasons in the WNBA, helping the Houston Comets to the first four WNBA Championships and being named the Most Improved Player and a First Team All-WNBA star in 2001.

"I was very happy when I received the news about the Hall of Fame, I had dreamed of this moment after I stopped playing and now my dream is coming true!" Arcain said to FIBA.com.

"I've actually played several times against Lisa Leslie and my greatest memories are of her playing in the WNBA for Los Angeles Sparks and me playing with the Comets. She was amazing, very talented and certainly inspired other athletes to be like her.

"I am very happy to have been part of a winning Brazilian generation and in 2015 I will be next to some of them again, but this time also as part of the best basketball players in the world who are in the Hall of Fame."

Leslie led the USA national team to four Olympic gold medals in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 as well as to the FIBA World Championship for Women titles in 1998 and 2002. In college, she led the University of Southern California to an 89-31 record and was named the National Freshman of the Year in 1991. Her stellar 13-year WNBA career included leading the Los Angeles Sparks to titles in 2001 and 2002. She was also a three-time MVP, eight-time  All-Star and eight-time first team All-WNBA selection.

Another inductee with links to the Sparks is Gail Goestenkors, who has had a rollercoaster week. The coach left her job as assistant with the LA club to subsequently be revealed as an inductee. The former USA Basketball National Coach of the Year is a play-caller with a superb resume having spent two decades in the colleage game where she compiled a stunning 498-163 record. She was named the WBCA National Coach of the Year and Naismith Coach of the Year in 2003. Goestenkors also guided Duke to 13 NCAA appearances, including seven Elite Eight appearances and four Women’s Final Four appearances.

Also in for coaching accomplishments is Brad Smith, who has spent 27 years at the helm of the Oregon City High School team with an outstanding 629-87 record. He guided Oregon City to ten 4A State Championships, was named National High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year and WBCA National Coach of the Year in 2007. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame also awarded Smith the Morgan Wootten Award for Lifetime Achievement in coaching High School basketball two years ago.

Kurt Budke has been posthumously awarded his place in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. He was a two-time NJCAA Coach of the Year (1995, 1998) and guided Trinity Valley to four NJCAA National Championships. His junior college record 273-31 (89.8%) remains the highest winning percentage in NJCAA history. From 2002-2005 at Louisiana Tech, he compiled a record of 80-16 leading Louisiana Tech to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. At Oklahoma State his teams went 112-83 highlighted by a Sweet 16 appearance in 2008.

Last but not least, Janet Harris is handed a place due to her on-court exploits. She played at the University of Georgia and was the first player in NCAA women's basketball history to record 2,500 points and 1,250 rebounds. She averaged a double-double of 20.2 points and 10.7 rebounds at Georgia and was a three-time Kodak All-American (1982, 1984, 1985). In high school, she led John Marshall to an 88-6 record, averaging 19 points and 14 rebounds in her senior season. She also played professionally in Italy, Japan, Spain, Israel, Turkey, and Greece.

The Class of 2015 will be formally inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame at a ceremony next June in Knoxville, Tennessee.

FIBA