Colorado University Athletics
Isabelle Fijalkowski To Be Inducted Into Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
October 31, 2025 | Women's Basketball
Former CU standout joins 2026 class alongside Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne
BOULDER — Former Colorado women's basketball great Isabelle Fijalkowski has been selected for induction into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026, the organization announced Thursday.
Fijalkowski joins a star-studded group that includes fellow players Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne and Amaya Valdemoro; coaches Cheryl Reeve and Kim Muhl; contributor Doris Burke; and veteran honoree Barbara Kennedy-Dixon. The class will be formally enshrined June 27, 2026, at the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville, Tenn.
Though she spent only one season in Boulder, Fijalkowski made an unforgettable impact during one of—if not the—best seasons in CU history. The 6-5 center from Clermont-Ferrand, France, transferred to Colorado for the 1994-95 season and, teaming with program legends Shelley Sheetz, Erin Scholz, Raegan Scott and De Celle Thomas, anchored a lineup that went 30-3 overall, swept the Big Eight Conference with a 14-0 record, won the conference tournament championship, and advanced to the Elite Eight before falling to Georgia by just three points.
"It's a great honor and I'm so grateful to have played for CU," Fijalkowski said. "It opened so many opportunities in my basketball career and my life. Â I love the challenge, the great teammates, the team, the coaching staff, the mountains, and the campus atmosphere. And the snowy roads to the very early morning work outs!"Â
Fijalkowski averaged 16.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 59.5 percent from the field and 73.6 percent from the line. After close losses at No. 4 Louisiana Tech and against No. 1 Tennessee (a 78-72 decision at the CU Events Center) early in the season, the Buffs reeled off 25 straight wins and became just the second team in Big Eight history—alongside CU's 1988-89 squad—to go a perfect 17-0 while winning both the regular-season and tournament titles. The Buffs finished No. 2 in the final AP poll and earned a No. 1 NCAA seed.
Fijalkowski was coached at Colorado by Ceal Barry, herself a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, and joins Barry and longtime USA Basketball executive and current CU radio analyst Carol Callan as the only three individuals with ties to the Colorado program to be enshrined in the Hall.
"I am thrilled for Isabelle and her family that she is being inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame," Barry said. "Isabelle was so easy to coach. She was so talented and had a fierce competitor's instinct!"
Before and after her Colorado season, Fijalkowski was already among Europe's most decorated players. A longtime member of the French National Team, she helped France qualify for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and later captained the squad that won silver at the 1999 EuroBasket Women Championship. Professionally, she starred for Clermont Université Club and CJM Bourges, leading Bourges to multiple EuroLeague titles and earning numerous domestic honors.
Her success crossed the Atlantic again in 1997 when she was selected by the Cleveland Rockers in the WNBA's inaugural player allocation. She spent two seasons in Cleveland, averaging 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds, and ranked among the league's most efficient post scorers.
Each inductee will receive the Berenson Trophy, sponsored by Smith College and named for Senda Berenson—the "Mother of Women's Basketball"—along with a WBHOF Ring, presented by Baron Championship Rings.
"We are honored to pay tribute to eight distinguished legends of this exceptional sport," said WBHOF President Dana Hart. "They exemplify the highest standards in women's basketball and have made substantial contributions to the sport, along with shaping the game's historical trajectory."
Colorado's Hall of Famers
Isabelle Fijalkowski (1994–95)
Averaged 16.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 59.5% from the field and 73.6% from the line. Helped lead the Buffs to a 30-3 record, a 14-0 Big Eight championship season, a No. 1 NCAA seed and an Elite Eight appearance.
Ceal Barry (Head Coach, 1983–2005, Inducted 2018)
Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. Compiled a 427–242 record at Colorado, guiding the Buffs to four conference titles and 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, including three Elite Eights.
Carol Callan (Contributor, Inducted 2021)
A 1978 CU graduate and former Buffs assistant coach, Callan served more than 25 years as USA Basketball Women's National Team Director, overseeing an unparalleled run of international success that included six consecutive Olympic gold medals (1996–2020). She remains an influential leader in the sport and currently serves as Colorado's radio analyst for women's basketball broadcasts.
Fijalkowski joins a star-studded group that includes fellow players Candace Parker, Elena Delle Donne and Amaya Valdemoro; coaches Cheryl Reeve and Kim Muhl; contributor Doris Burke; and veteran honoree Barbara Kennedy-Dixon. The class will be formally enshrined June 27, 2026, at the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville, Tenn.
Though she spent only one season in Boulder, Fijalkowski made an unforgettable impact during one of—if not the—best seasons in CU history. The 6-5 center from Clermont-Ferrand, France, transferred to Colorado for the 1994-95 season and, teaming with program legends Shelley Sheetz, Erin Scholz, Raegan Scott and De Celle Thomas, anchored a lineup that went 30-3 overall, swept the Big Eight Conference with a 14-0 record, won the conference tournament championship, and advanced to the Elite Eight before falling to Georgia by just three points.
"It's a great honor and I'm so grateful to have played for CU," Fijalkowski said. "It opened so many opportunities in my basketball career and my life. Â I love the challenge, the great teammates, the team, the coaching staff, the mountains, and the campus atmosphere. And the snowy roads to the very early morning work outs!"Â
Fijalkowski averaged 16.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 59.5 percent from the field and 73.6 percent from the line. After close losses at No. 4 Louisiana Tech and against No. 1 Tennessee (a 78-72 decision at the CU Events Center) early in the season, the Buffs reeled off 25 straight wins and became just the second team in Big Eight history—alongside CU's 1988-89 squad—to go a perfect 17-0 while winning both the regular-season and tournament titles. The Buffs finished No. 2 in the final AP poll and earned a No. 1 NCAA seed.
Fijalkowski was coached at Colorado by Ceal Barry, herself a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, and joins Barry and longtime USA Basketball executive and current CU radio analyst Carol Callan as the only three individuals with ties to the Colorado program to be enshrined in the Hall.
"I am thrilled for Isabelle and her family that she is being inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame," Barry said. "Isabelle was so easy to coach. She was so talented and had a fierce competitor's instinct!"
Before and after her Colorado season, Fijalkowski was already among Europe's most decorated players. A longtime member of the French National Team, she helped France qualify for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and later captained the squad that won silver at the 1999 EuroBasket Women Championship. Professionally, she starred for Clermont Université Club and CJM Bourges, leading Bourges to multiple EuroLeague titles and earning numerous domestic honors.
Her success crossed the Atlantic again in 1997 when she was selected by the Cleveland Rockers in the WNBA's inaugural player allocation. She spent two seasons in Cleveland, averaging 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds, and ranked among the league's most efficient post scorers.
Each inductee will receive the Berenson Trophy, sponsored by Smith College and named for Senda Berenson—the "Mother of Women's Basketball"—along with a WBHOF Ring, presented by Baron Championship Rings.
"We are honored to pay tribute to eight distinguished legends of this exceptional sport," said WBHOF President Dana Hart. "They exemplify the highest standards in women's basketball and have made substantial contributions to the sport, along with shaping the game's historical trajectory."
Colorado's Hall of Famers
Isabelle Fijalkowski (1994–95)
Averaged 16.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 59.5% from the field and 73.6% from the line. Helped lead the Buffs to a 30-3 record, a 14-0 Big Eight championship season, a No. 1 NCAA seed and an Elite Eight appearance.
Ceal Barry (Head Coach, 1983–2005, Inducted 2018)
Inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. Compiled a 427–242 record at Colorado, guiding the Buffs to four conference titles and 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, including three Elite Eights.
Carol Callan (Contributor, Inducted 2021)
A 1978 CU graduate and former Buffs assistant coach, Callan served more than 25 years as USA Basketball Women's National Team Director, overseeing an unparalleled run of international success that included six consecutive Olympic gold medals (1996–2020). She remains an influential leader in the sport and currently serves as Colorado's radio analyst for women's basketball broadcasts.
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