Former LSU women’s basketball All-American Seimone Augustus was already headed to her home state’s Hall of Fame in a star-studded Class of 2024 next June.
Turns out she’ll have another meaningful stop along her post-career journey two months earlier when the 39-year-old Augustus was voted Thursday into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of ’24.
Augustus, a native of Baton Rouge who starred at both Capitol High and LSU, was part of the hall’s 25th anniversary class along with former Minnesota Lynx teammates Maya Moore and Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Rita Gail Easterling, Violet Palmer and Mary “Roonie” Scovel.
The induction is scheduled for April 27 at the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville at 5:30 p.m.
“Seimone Augustus is one of the greatest players in the history of our game,” LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey said in a university release. “She has been successful at every level of basketball, and what she did for this program and this university deserves to be recognized.”
Augustus and Moore were part of four WNBA titles in Minnesota along with McWilliams-Franklin.
Augustus rose to stardom at Capitol High School, leading the Lady Lions to consecutive state championships with 3,600 career points and a 138-7 record.
LSU and coach Sue Gunter won a difficult recruiting battle against coach Pat Summit and Tennessee to keep Augustus home and elevate the program.
The Tigers were 121-19 during Augustus’ career, made three straight trips to the Women’s Final Four (2004-06) and played to increased attendance at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Augustus, a national Freshman of the Year, was twice named an All-American and SEC Player of the Year. She also twice won the prestigious Wade Trophy and was named a Naismith All-America selection.
She finished her college career as the school’s No. 2 scorer with 2,702 points, grabbed 728 rebounds and became the first female athlete in school history to her jersey retired and received a statue this past January.
“When you think about all the qualities involved in being a Hall of Fame player, no one checks all the boxes like Seimone,” said LSU associate coach Bob Starkey, who coached Augustus during her time at LSU. “But what brings me the most pride is that she was a hall of fame person and teammate as well — I know of no one more deserving.”
Minnesota made Augustus the No. 1 overall selection in the 2006 WNBA Draft and the silky-smooth guard spent 14 of her 15 years professionally with the Lynx. She helped the organization, along with Moore and McWilliams-Franklin and former LSU teammate Sylvia Fowles, to WNBA titles in 2011, ’13 and ’15.
Augustus, the WNBA Rookie of Year, eight-time WNBA All-Star and member of the league’s 25th anniversary team, scored 5,479 points in 325 games for the Lynx. She spent one season with the Los Angeles Sparks and was one of 10 players at the time to score more than 6,000 points (6,005) in her career before retiring in May of 2021.
Augustus, who enjoyed a successful nine-year career overseas, also tasted Olympic gold three times with the United States’ women’s national team, winning gold medals in 2008, ’12 and ’16.
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