On April 28, three-time WNBA Champion Candace Parker announced her retirement. She played in the WNBA for 16 years and is the only WNBA player to win Rookie of the Year and league MVP in the same year.
“I promised I’d never cheat the game & that I’d leave it in a better place than I came into it,” Parker stated on Instagram. “The competitor in me always wants 1 more, but it’s time. My HEART & body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it.”
Her career consists of countless milestones and accolades. Parker is the first woman to win the slam dunk contest in the McDonald’s All-American Game. She is also the first woman to dunk during a NCAA tournament game in 2006.
Another first for Parker came in 2021 when Parker became the first female basketball player to be on the cover of a videogame when she was featured on NBA 2K22.
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Parker also had a dominant career overseas. She helped the Russian League team UMMC Ekaterinburg win five consecutive championships from 2010-2015.
Parker won her first WNBA championship with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2016. The franchise had not won a title since 2002; her efforts would earn her 2016 Finals MVP honors. Parker was the second-leading scorer in L.A. with 15.3 points per game that season. She also came in third in the league in assists with 4.9 per game.
“We are deeply grateful for the remarkable contributions Candace Parker has made to the Los Angeles Sparks and to the sport of basketball as a whole,” Sparks Managing Partner and Governor Eric Holoman stated. “Her impact in the community and ability to inspire will always be felt here in LA.”
The Sparks was one of the best teams in the WNBA in 2016 with a 26-8 overall record; they started their season with an 11-game winning streak. In their home opener against the Seattle Storm, Parker scored a season-high 34 points.
Another highlight that season was when the Sparks defeated the Dallas Wings 89-84; Parker scored 31 points and committed a season-high of 13 rebounds. Parker dedicated the game to her college coach Pat Summitt who had passed away at that time.
After her 13-year stint with the Sparks, Parker played for the Chicago Sky. In 2021, she helped the Sky win a WNBA title by leading the team with 8.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Her 13.3 points per game that season was second-best on the team.
Parker is a two-time gold medalist with Team USA Olympic women’s basketball, competing in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. During the gold medal game for the 2012 London Olympics, Parker scored 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Under the tutelage of Summitt with the Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team, Parker won two NCAA titles and was named NCAA Most Outstanding Player twice. She is also a two-time Wooden Award winner and the 2008 Naismith College Player of the Year.
While being a stellar player, Parker also has achievements off the court. Parker is a commentator and analyst for CBS Sports, NBA TV, and NBA on TNT. She and her daughter Lailaa are investors of the Angel City Football Club.
