LEXINGTON, Ky. (KT) — Former University of Kentucky women’s basketball coach Mickie DeMoss was inducted into the Women’s College Basketball Hall of Fame during a ceremony Saturday in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Former Kentucky standout Ceal Barry also will be among the seven newest inductees into the prestigious Hall of Fame. The Class of 2018 also includes Tina Thompson, Katie Smith, Chamique Holdsclaw, Chris Dailey and Rose Marie Battaglia, who will be part of the Hall of Fame’s 20th list of inductees.

“It is certainly one of the highest honors you could receive in this profession, being inducted into the Hall of Fame and being recognized by your peers for the contributions you made to the sport,” DeMoss told the Daily Reveille in Baton Rouge. “It’s something that I am very humbled by because I am with some outstanding company. To be considered in that group is certainly an honor and a privilege.”

DeMoss rebuilt the program into a contender and helped provide stability and a strong foundation for the future. She led Kentucky to back-to-back 20-win seasons and three straight appearances in the postseason, including an NCAA Tournament appearance.

DeMoss was named Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year in 2006 after the Wildcats defeated Tennessee as part of nine conference victories that season. The Lady Volunteers were No. 1 at the time and the win was Kentucky’s first-ever win over a top-ranked program. DeMoss spent 18 years at Tennessee before taking over at Kentucky. DeMoss also has coached at Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, LSU and the Indiana Fever of the WNBA since leaving Lexington.

Barry played at Kentucky from 1974-77 as a guard and coached at Cincinnati and Colorado before retiring in 2005 and currently serves as Associate Athletics Director/Senior Women’s Administrator at Colorado. She was the first women to earn a college scholarship at Kentucky.

“To watch women’s sports go from not being valued to being valued was really very special,” Barry said. “You look back and you see the advancements that have been made, and it’s a good feeling to know you had a role in that.”