Candace Parker

At 38 years old, Candace Parker has this physical status:

Candace Nicole Parker (born April 19, 1986) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

She was the first overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft.

In 2016, along with other stars such as Alana Beard and Nneka Ogwumike, Parker helped the Sparks to win their first WNBA Finals title since 2002.

In high school, Parker won the 2003 and 2004 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year awards, becoming just the second junior and the only woman to receive the award twice. A versatile player, Parker mainly plays the forward position.

In college she was listed on Tennessee's roster as a forward, center and guard.

Parker was the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game and the first woman to dunk twice in a college game.

She set both milestones as a redshirt freshman on March 19, 2006.

Parker became the second player to dunk in a WNBA game on June 22, 2008.

Prior to her first WNBA game, Parker had signed long-term endorsement deals with Adidas and Gatorade.

In leading the Lady Vols to two consecutive national championships, Parker was named the Final Four's most outstanding player in both occasions, and was a two-time consensus national player of the year. Parker has won a WNBA championship (2016), two WNBA Most Valuable Player Awards (2008, 2013), WNBA Finals MVP Award (2016), WNBA All-Star Game MVP (2013), two Olympic gold medals (2008, 2012), and the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award (2008).

Parker has been selected to six all-WNBA teams and five all-star teams, and was the first player to win the Rookie of the Year and the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award in the same season.

Early life

Parker was born on April 19, 1986 in St. Louis, Missouri. She has two older brothers, including former NBA basketball player Anthony Parker.

Parker and her family moved to Naperville, Illinois at the age of two, where she spent her childhood. Her family loved basketball and she began playing at an early age. Her father played basketball at the University of Iowa in the 1970s. The Parker family were also Chicago Bulls fans. Candace was worried about playing basketball, fearing she would not live up to the level of play her father and brother demonstrated, so she focused on playing soccer. It wasn't until the eighth grade that her family convinced her to play basketball. Her father helped coach and critique her. Parker said of the experience, "He did things to make me mad, to challenge me, because I was so much more athletic and had so much more knowledge of the game than everyone else that sometimes I just coasted. If me and my dad went to a park and he didn't think I was practicing hard enough, he'd just get in the car and leave. And I'd have to run home. I mean run home. Once I figured that out, I'd always try to go to close-by parks."

During her youth in the Chicago area, Parker grew up adoring the Chicago Bulls and was a Michael Jordan fan. Her all-time favorite player is Ron Harper, of whom she had a picture hanging in her bedroom.

Personal life

On May 7, 2007, People named Parker to its 100 World's Most Beautiful people list.

On November 13, 2008, Parker married Shelden Williams, who played college basketball at Duke University and also played in the NBA. The couple has a daughter born in 2009. In 2013, the couple purchased a 7,000-square-foot (650 m2) home in Encino, Los Angeles, for $3.56 million. In November 2016, the couple split up after eight years of marriage when Williams filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences".

In October 2020, Parker and her daughter became part of the ownership group of Angel City FC, a Los Angeles–based team that started play in the National Women's Soccer League in 2022.

On December 14, 2021, Parker announced that she had married Anna Petrakova in 2019 and that they were expecting a baby.

Petrakova gave birth to a son in February 2022.

Parker has a dog named Prada. She previously had a St. Bernard mix named Fendi, whom she appeared with in an anti-fur ad for PETA.

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High school career

She attended Naperville Central High School in Naperville, Illinois, like her older brother Anthony Parker. Parker coached her high school basketball team to Class AA state titles in 2003 and 2004, winning a school record 2,768 points (22.9 points per game) and 1,592 rebounds (13.2 rebounds per game), despite starting 119 of the 121 games in which she participated.

She is the only two-time winner of the USA Today High School Player of the Year, having received the award in 2003 and 2004. In 2003 and 2004, Parker received the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award and the Gatorade Female Basketball Player of the Year Award. In 2004, she was named Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year, WBCA All-American, and McDonald's All-American. She earned nine points in the 2004 WCBA All-America Game. In Illinois, 2003, 2004, she was also a consensus pick as Player of the Year, and 2004; and 2004, she was a four-year member of the All-State first team.

Parker dunked for the first time in history as a 15-year-old sophomore at Naperville Central High School on December 27, 2001. This is believed to be the first slam dunk by a female celebrity in Illinois. Parker defeated Jolly's All-American Game on March 29, 2004, becoming the first woman to win the tournament and defeating Josh Smith and J. R. Smith.

Parker revealed her dedication to Tennessee on ESPNEWS on November 11, 2003, making her first women's celebrity to announce the oral commitment live on the network on November 11, 2003.

Parker steered the undefeated USA Junior World Championship team to a gold medal in August 2004 with 16.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Parker had a relapse of knee pain during preparation and was recommended to have both the lateral meniscus and the lateral cartilage of her left knee.

Allen Iverson, a former NBA player who mentored her during her high school career, is honored on her jersey.

College career

In the fall of 2004, Parker entered the University of Tennessee. Tennessee announced on February 17, 2005, Parker would miss her first season due to a knee injury she suffered in a summer league match.

Parker debuted with the Tennessee Lady Vols in 2005-06. She was on the roster as a forward, center, and guard. She became the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament first-round match against Army on March 19, 2006, and the first woman to dunk twice in an NCAA tournament match. She was named SEC Rookie of the Year (Coaches and AP) and helped the Lady Vols win the 2006 SEC tournament championship. Parker made the game-winning shot in the SEC tournament championship game against LSU with 17 seconds remaining. She was named tournament MVP and was voted to the 2006 Kodak All-America team, making her one of the few people to be crowned as a freshman. However, Parker got into early foul trouble and was forced to leave the game early in the first half. Tennessee ultimately lost the game.

Parker was the only college player selected to the USA squad for the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women in Brazil. The USA squad finished in third place in third place.

Parker made history by winning 1,000 points in her sophomore season against Alabama on January 28, 2007. She made the most appearances in 56 games, beating Chamique Holdingsc's record of 57 games and Tamika Catchings's of 58 games. Parker was named the 2007 SEC Player of the Year at the SEC tournament in Duluth, Georgia, on March 1, 2007. The Lady Vols won their first National Championship since 1998 on April 3, defeating Rutgers 59-46. Parker ended the game with 17 points and was named tournament Most Valuable Player.

Parker revealed on February 21, 2008, that she would forego her senior season of eligibility at Tennessee in order to concentrate on the 2008 Olympics and pursue a career in basketball. Despite having suffered a dislocated shoulder in the regional final, Parker led the Lady Vols to their second straight NCAA women's championship, and the ninth for legendary coach Pat Summitt. She was also named the Most Outstanding Player for the second consecutive NCAA tournament, joining Cheryl Miller, Chamique Holdsc law, and Diana Taurasi as the only female players to have so.

In May 2008, she joined her incoming class. The College Sports Information Directors of America named University Division I Academic All-American of the Year in women's basketball for 2008, a 3.35 grade-point average as of December 2007. While at Tennessee, she set a record of 100 victories and ten losses, as well as 1.8 blocks per game.

WNBA career

Parker was drafted first by the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2008 WNBA draft, one day after winning the NCAA championship. She competed with Olympic teammates Lisa Leslie and DeLisha Milton-Jones. After being drafted in the second round, Shannon Bobbitt, Parker's teammate, joined the Sparks.

In her first game against the Phoenix Mercury on May 17, she had 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists. In her debut game, she beat the record for a rookie in a debut game, previously held by Cynthia Cooper with 25 points in her debut game in 1997. It is a record that has stood on record to this day.

She became the second woman in WNBA history on June 22, 2008, after her colleague Lisa Leslie—to dunk during a regulation WNBA match against the Indiana Fever. The dunk was in the same basket as Lisa Leslie's. During a regulation game against the Seattle Storm on June 24, 2008, she became the first player to dunk twice in their WNBA career.

For the months of May and July 2008, Parker was named as the Hanns-G 'Go Beyond' Rookie of the Month.

Parker scored a career-high 40 points, as well as 16 rebounds and 6 assists in an 82-74 overtime victory over the Houston Comets on July 9, 2008.

On July 21, 2008, Parker was one of 11 people suspended in the Sparks-Shock brawl.

The WNBA suspended play for a few weeks in August 2008 in order to welcome their players to participate in the national teams at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Parker was chosen to go, but the US team cruised to win the gold medal with eight straight victories. Parker averaged 9.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, as well as 14 points in the final game.

Parker became the first WNBA player to win both the Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Player awards in the same season on October 3, 2008, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld as the only two professional American basketball players to win both ROY and MVP trophies in the same season.

Since giving birth to her daughter, Lailaa Nicole Williams, Parker missed the first eight games of the 2009 WNBA season. By this time, the Sparks had signed Tina Thompson and Betty Lennox to help with the team's operations in the absence of Parker. Parker returned to practice with her colleagues for the first time on June 30. On July 5, 2009, she returned to action from maternity leave for the first time. Despite missing almost a month due to her maternity leave, Parker was selected to the All-WNBA second team and All-Defensive second team. She had averaged a career-low in scoring, but she led the league in rebounding by the end of the season. Parker helped the Sparks advance to the Western Conference Finals but they lost in three games to the Phoenix Mercury, the eventual champions. Parker had 18 points and 10.7 rebounds per game in the playoffs.

Parker played just ten games in 2010 and was suspended for the remainder of the season due to a shoulder injury. She will also miss the playoffs. Parker appeared in six games in 2011. Parker went down in the third quarter after grabbing a defensive rebound and briefly speaking with Quanitra Hollingsworth. She discovered a torn meniscus in her right knee after an MRI on June 27. She had been named an All-Star during the season, but her absence will prevent her from attending the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game. She returned and played the remainder of the season, but the Sparks were not able to contend for playoff contention with a disappointing 15-19 record.

Parker had re-signed with the Sparks in 2012 after her rookie deal came to an end. She had played full season and aided her team in their 24–10 record, earning the playoffs as the second seed in the west. They defeated the San Antonio Stars two games to none in the first round. Parker had 33 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and had 4 blocks in a must-win game two against the Minnesota Lynx, the Sparks lost two games to none, but lost, 80-79, effectively ending their season. Following her mother Sara's death, Parker was extremely emotional, hugging her mother Sara with tears.

Parker appeared in her first All-Star game on July 27, 2013, her sixth season. In a come from behind victory for the West that came from behind, she scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, earning her the WNBA All-Star MVP award. The Sparks set the same record (24–10) a year earlier this year, earning the second seed in the Western Conference and the second seed. Parker was named the 2013 WNBA Most Valuable Player on September 19. Parker was the fifth person to win multiple WNBA MVP awards, joining Lisa Leslie (3), Sheryl Swoopes (3), Lauren Jackson (3), and Cynthia Cooper (2). In the Western Conference Semifinals, the Sparks met the Phoenix Mercury. The Sparks lost in game one at Staples Center, causing them to win in game two at Phoenix, keeping the series in play. Parker led the Sparks to victory in game two after scoring 31 points and 11 rebounds, bringing the series back to Los Angeles for a game three. The Sparks lost on a last second jumper by Phoenix rookie Brittney Griner, putting the season's season to a stop for the second year in a row.

Williams Group Holdings unexpectedly revealed that they would relinquish their control of the Sparks in January 2014. For a short period of time, the Sparks in Los Angeles was in jeopardy. Despite significant uncertainty, a month later the team was purchased by an investment firm, led by Magic Johnson, with promises of bringing a championship to Los Angeles. With an unexpected 10–13 record, the team went into the All-Star break. Immediately after the break, head coach Carol Ross was let go, while former NFL and former player Penny Toler assumed the role as coach for the remainder of the season. Parker led her team to a 16-18 record and a top-four seed to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history and sixth time for Parker. Despite the great effort put forth by her in the series, the Mercury lost 72–68 in Game 1 and 93–68, their second straight year, to the eventual champions of the Phoenix Mercury, securing the season's second straight year. In the regular season, Parker averaged 19.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game.

Parker re-signed with the Sparks as an unrestricted free agent in 2016. Parker averaged 15.3 points per game during the season, becoming the team's second option next to Nneka Ogwumike, who led the team in scoring and was named MVP. However, Parker's college coach and mentor, Pat Summitt, died of Alzheimer's disease at the age of 64. Parker had an amazing showing in the second half, finishing the game with 31 points and guiding her team to victory. She dedicated the season to Summitt in an emotional post-game interview. The Sparks were a championship candidate in the league, finishing 26-8 with Nneka Ogwumike and Kristi Toliver as a supporting cast. With the WNBA's new playoff system in place, the Sparks were the number two seed in the league, with a double-bye to the semi-finals (the last round before the WNBA Finals). For the first time since 2003, the Sparks defeated the Sky 3-1 in the series, advancing to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2003.

Due to the new playoff system, the Sparks faced the championship-defending Minnesota Lynx for the second time in league history. Parker was at the forefront of the Sparks' triumph, with this finals series being the best the WNBA had ever seen. Parker led the Sparks to a 2–1 series lead in Game 3 in Los Angeles, with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists. Parker was just one win away from winning her first title, despite the Sparks' success. However, the Lynx ignited the flames on their home court in Game 4 with an 85–79 victory, prompting a winner-take-all Game 5. The Sparks would win Game 5 on the road, with game winning close range shots from Parker's colleague, Nneka Ogwumike, who put the Sparks ahead 77–76 with 3.1 seconds remaining after grabbing an offensive rebound. The Sparks won their first championship since 2002. An emotional Parker yelled "this is for Pat," implying that the championship victory was in honor of Pat Summitt. Parker captured her first title and was named Nationals MVP. Parker had scored a game-high 28 points as well as 12 rebounds in Game 5 of the season. Parker was also included in the WNBA Top 20@20, a list of the top 20 players ever in honor of the WNBA's twentieth anniversary.

Parker signed a multi-year deal extension with the Sparks in February 2017. Parker was nominated in 2017 for her fourth all-star award during the 2017 season. Parker made history by winning by 33 in an 85-73 victory over the San Antonio Stars on July 28, 2017. Parker scored 11 points and tied her career-high of 17 rebounds with a career-high 11 assists. The Sparks repeated her regular season as the country's top seed with a 26–8 record and a double-bye to the semi-finals, with her average 16.9 points per game. The Sparks beat the Phoenix Mercury in the semi-finals in a 3-game sweep. Parker's game-winning layup in Game 3 brought the Sparks up 89–87 as they advanced to the WNBA Finals for the second season in a row, setting up a rematch with the Minnesota Lynx. Parker set the record for most steals in a Finals game with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks in a 75-64 victory, putting the Sparks up 2–1. However, the Sparks will miss the next two games, defeating the Lynx in five games, and also failed to win back-to-back championships.

Parker's stat line, 21 points, 10 assists, 9 steals, and 2 blocks made history by defeating the Seattle Storm 77–75, making her the first player in WNBA history to accomplish such stat line. Parker, a season-high 34 points, as well as 11 rebounds and 9 assists in a 99-78 victory over the Las Vegas Aces on July 15, 2018. Parker was nominated in the 2018 WNBA All-Star Game on July 19, her fifth all-star nomination. Parker ended the season on a high note with 17.9 ppg, and the Sparks placed as the nation's top seed with a 19-15 record. They met their Minnesota Lynx in the first round elimination game, losing 75-68 to advance to the second round. The Sparks lost 96–64 to the Washington Mystics in the second round elimination game, snapping their run to two consecutive finals appearances.

Parker suffered a hamstring injury during the Sparks' first preseason game in May 2019 and was barred from playing 3–5 weeks. Parker scored three points on 1-of-9 shooting from the field in an 81-52 loss to the Washington Mystics on June 18, 2019. Parker had a season-high 21 points in an 83-75 victory over the Seattle Storm on August 4, 2019. Parker defeated the Atlanta Dream in 70–60 over September 3, 2019. With a 22-12 record, the Sparks made it to the second round and advanced to the top seed. The Sparks defeated the defending champions, the Seattle Storm, 92–69, in the second round elimination game. The Sparks were eliminated in the semi-finals by the Connecticut Sun, however.

Parker played all 22 games for the Sparks in the 2020 season, which was cut short and took place in a "bubble" at IMG Academy due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She had a 51% field goal percentage, her best since 2011, and her average was 14.7 points per game. She led the league in rebounding (9.7 per game) and had a league-leading 10 double-double performances. In the playoffs, the Sparks earned the third seed and a first-round bye, but they lost a single-elimination match to the seventh-seeded Connecticut Sun in the second round. For the first time in her career, Parker was named Defensive Player of the Year. Despite this, she was disqualified from the first and second WNBA All-Defensive Teams. While analysts debate the All-Defensive Teams, the discrepancy arises as a result of media coverage of the Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Parker became an unrestricted free agent in 2021. She left the Sparks after 13 seasons by committing to a two-year deal with the Chicago Sky. The change to the Sky gave her the opportunity to play a little closer to home and compete for another championship. "Chicago is where my family raised me; where I first heard the game of basketball; and where I first fell in love with this orange ball." "I'm home" to my new colleagues, my current employer, and my current followers.

Parker was voted to The W25 during the season, a committee of media and pioneering women's basketball figures selected to be the best and most influential in the league's 25 years. Parker and the Sky earned the #6 seed in the playoffs for the second season. They won two single elimination games, followed by the upset of the Connecticut Sun in the semifinals, before defeating the Phoenix Mercury in the 2021 WNBA Finals.

National team career

Parker, a member of the USA Women's U18 team that lifted the gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, is a member of the United States Women's U18 team. In August 2004, the USA team defeated Puerto Rico to win the championship. Parker was the team's top scorer, scoring 16.6 points per game.

Parker earned her first gold medal when the United States defeated Australia 92-65 as a result.

In the fall of 2009, Parker was invited to the USA Basketball Women's National Team preparation camp. These athletes are often selected from the squads for the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Olympics. The team returned to Ekaterinburg, Russia, where they competed in the 2009 UMMC Ekaterinburg International Invitational.

Parker appeared for Team USA in the 2012 Summer Olympics. She aided the team in rebounds and blocks throughout the Olympics, ultimately assisting them in winning their second gold medal after defeating France 86–50 in the gold medal tournament.

Despite her success in the previous Olympics and participation in national team preparations into the summer of 2016, Parker was not selected to compete for Team USA in the 2016 Summer Olympics. USA Basketball extended an invitation to Parker for the 2017-20 national team training camp, but she declined because of her exclusion from the squad for the Rio games.

Overseas career

Parker played for UMMC Ekaterinburg of the Russian League from 2010 to 2015, winning five straight championships with the team. In her last off-season with the team, Parker worked with colleague Kristi Toliver. Parker signed with the Guangdong Dolphins in January 2016, to replace Yelena Leuchanka during the WCBA playoffs. Parker signed Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Super League in February 2017. Parker signed with the Xinjiang Magic Deer of the Chinese League in December 2017-18 WNBA off-season.

Broadcasting career

During the 2018–19 NBA season, Parker began working as an analyst and commentator for NBA on TNT broadcasts of Tuesday games. She has also worked as an analyst for the 2019 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Game. In 2019, she signed a multi-year contract with Turner Sports to serve as an analyst and commentator for NBA on TNT, NBA TV, and NCAA Tournament coverage on CBS Sports.

Career statistics

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