Tag: Candace Parker

Candace Parker announces retirement from WNBA

Former Lady Vol Candace Parker retires from the WNBA.

Former Lady Vol Candace Parker announced her retirement from the WNBA on Sunday.

Parker played in the WNBA from 2008-23. She was selected No. 1 overall in the 2008 WNBA draft by Los Angeles. The former Lady Vol also played for Chicago and Las Vegas.

Parker was the 2008 WNBA Rookie of the Year, a seven-time WNBA All-Star. She was also named league MVP during her rookie season and named WNBA MVP in 2013.

Parker was a seven-time First-Team All-WNBA standout and the WNBA Finals MVP in 2016.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist played at Tennessee from 2006-08 under head coach Pat Summitt.

Parker led the Lady Vols to consecutive national championships in 2007-08. Her No. 3 is retired by the Lady Vols.

Dale Zanine USA TODAY Sports

Candace Parker retires having completed her mission of leaving the game better for the next generation

Candace Parker brings her legendary career to a close after 16 years.

If Candace Parker isn’t the greatest women’s basketball player ever, she’s on the short list of players in the conversation.

A dominant force on both ends of the court, Parker was a winner everywhere she went, collecting two NCAA titles at Tennessee, two Olympic gold medals with Team USA and a WNBA title at all three stops of a 16-year career she’s ready to bring to a close.

Parker announced her retirement Sunday on Instagram, saying the foot injury that sidelined her most of last season isn’t cooperating. “The competitor in me always wants 1 more, but it’s time,” the 38-year-old wrote. “My HEART & body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it.” It’s the end of a legendary career.

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One of the most decorated players all-time, Parker is a two-time WNBA MVP, the 2016 Finals MVP, the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year and a 10-time All-WNBA selection. That’s not to mention her achievements in college.

When the list of accomplishments is that long, the memories of a player are endless. I’ll personally remember Parker most for two things in particular. First, is the emotions that spilled out of her after the Chicago Sky won the 2021 WNBA title in her first year playing for her hometown team. Five years after Parker finally won her first title with the Los Angeles Sparks, with several playoff disappointments sandwiched in between, it truly felt like she was living out a script from a movie.

The other thing I’ll remember most is the impact Parker continues to have off the court as an ambassador for women’s basketball and a trailblazer in broadcasting. I had a chance to interview her in 2022 about her Title IX documentary and her role with Turner Sports, and one thing that stuck out was a comment about her wanting to leave the game better than she found it for the next generation.

“I think coming into the NCAA tournament, coming into the WNBA, my whole goal was to make it better for my daughter, to make it better for my nieces, to make it better for the next generation,” Parker told me.

As she presumably gets set to embark on a full-time broadcasting career, I think it’s safe to say she accomplished her mission. The popularity of women’s basketball is seemingly at an all-time high. The marketing dollars will likely follow. Those things wouldn’t be possible without the efforts of players like Parker to push the game forward. Young stars like A’ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark are carrying the torch now, but there’s no question Parker had it before them. She carried it a long way.

Candace Parker hilariously called Aces teammate A’Ja Wilson on Facetime to celebrate Tennessee right before South Carolina’s epic buzzer-beater

Celebrated too soon!

The South Carolina women’s basketball team refused to lose on Saturday, as Kamilla Cardoso scored her first 3-pointer of the season to top Tennessee at the buzzer.

The heroic bucket from Cardoso kept South Carolina’s undefeated season alive and sent the Lady Vols home with a devastating defeat.

The last-second South Carolina victory also caught Tennessee great and current Las Vegas Aces forward Candace Parker off-guard as she Facetimed with her teammate, a former South Carolina standout.

Wilson posted on Twitter (X) a screenshot of the two talking on Facetime, as she said that Parker called Wilson thinking the game was over only to realize it most certainly was not after Cardoso’s shot.

It’s never a good idea to celebrate until the final buzzer, especially in a sport like basketball where so much can change with one bucket.

Parker probably won’t hear the end of this for quite some time, as Wilson both got a big victory for her alma mater and a good laugh out of Parker’s confident Facetime call.

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Aces’ Candace Parker: Kobe Bryant uplifted the WNBA

Three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker reflects on the impact of Kobe Bryant on the WNBA ahead of his statue unveiling.

Few basketball players in the world had a greater impact on the game of basketball than Kobe Bryant. Not only did he impact the men’s side of the game, but his impact on the women’s side was indelible.

Bryant was an advocate for the WNBA and an ally to the players. Three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker commended Bryant this week for his impact ahead of his statue unveiling on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

“We in the WNBA feel like Kobe was the person that uplifted our league,” Parker said on TNT. “I think just in terms of him having his daughters and really teaching the game. I think that’s the biggest thing I learned from him. It’s like always continue — no matter how many championships you have, how many games you win — to want to learn and get better and study the game. I think that’s the biggest thing that I learned from Kobe watching, but also being in L.A. and seeing him win championships at the end of his career.”

In 2020, the WNBA created the Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award, which recognizes “an individual or group who has made significant contributions to the visibility, perception, and advancement of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels.”

When the award was first announced, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert had this to say about Bryant.

Kobe was an incredible champion of women’s basketball and Gianna shared his passion and dedication to our game. The Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award will honor their legacy and reflect Kobe’s commitment to mentoring the next generation of players, promoting the game and giving back to the community.

The inaugural winner of the award was Chris Paul in 2021 and the 2022 winner was NBA legend Pau Gasol. The award winner is selected together by the WNBA and the Bryant family and announced each year at NBA All-Star Weekend.

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Las Vegas Aces re-sign multiple championship players during free agency

The two-time WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces are retaining a solid roster heading into the upcoming season.

The two-time WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces are retaining a solid roster heading into the upcoming season. The most recent re-signing during free agency is three-time champion and two-time MVP Candace Parker.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to play the game I love while competing alongside my teammates and coaches,” said Parker. My family and I are excited to be back in Las Vegas and ready for another great season.”

Parker started the first 18 games of the 2023 season for the Aces and averaged nine points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals a game before undergoing surgery on her left foot and being sidelined the remainder of the season. The Aces won the championship in 2023, and with that, Parker became the first player in WNBA history to win a championship with three different teams: Los Angeles Sparks (2016) and Chicago Sky (2021).

The Aces also re-signed two-time champion Sydney Colson.

“We are excited to have the face of the league, Sydney Colson, back in our Aces camp,” said general manager Natalie Williams. “There is only light and laughter when she is around. Sydney practices and competes with intensity every day, she is a true pro. We look forward to having her leadership and fun back in camp.”

The Aces re-signed another two-time champion in center Kiah Stokes, who averaged 2.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in 86 games over the past 2 1/2 seasons with the Aces.

“I’m really excited to be coming back to Vegas,” said Stokes. “It feels like I’ve found a home here and I like what we’re building. Let’s go Aces!”

Suffice it to say, the Aces are looking to make another championship run in the 2024 season with their roster intact. The Aces’ first game is May 14 against the Phoenix Mercury.

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Candace Parker’s iconic basketball career shouldn’t be discredited to appease Knicks fans

The light on Candace Parker’s basketball career shouldn’t be dimmed to satisfy Knicks fans.

Part of what makes Candace Parker one of the most incredible WNBA talents ever is that she knows the game and has always been unapologetically herself. She shouldn’t have to change that for Knicks fans.

In case you missed it, New York Knicks fans are unhappy with how media personalities have recently portrayed Jalen Brunson. Earlier this season, they took exception to comments made by Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon. As a result, they created a new nickname for Brunson that reflects what they feel is top-tier talent.

Knicks fans are now dissatisfied with WNBA star Candace Parker for comments she made about Jalen Brunson’s stats in last season’s playoffs.

Parker’s comments led to her social media accounts being flooded by vitriol from Knicks fans, and it even got the attention of current Knicks shooting guard Josh Hart.

The backlash prompted Parker to clarify her comments on Wednesday.

But here’s the thing: Like Hammon, Parker shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to validate her opinion simply because Knicks fans disagree. She’s entitled to her opinion just like they are entitled to theirs – even if that opinion is incorrect.

What she’s not entitled to is having her resume and her basketball knowledge questioned. The disrespect is mystifying and incredibly dismissive. If the energy is not the same for other media personalities when they comment on basketball or Jalen Brunson, this is selective outrage, and fans should be ashamed.

3-time WNBA champion Chelsea Gray joins Kings broadcast team

Gray is also a current ACC Network college basketball analyst for the 2023-2024 season.

Three-time WNBA champion Chelsea Gray adds another role to her ever-expanding résumé, joining the Sacramento Kings broadcast team as a pre and postgame analyst. She joins hosts Kyle Draper and Morgan Ragan and analysts Matt Barnes and Mike Bibby on NBC Sports California for the remainder of the 2023-24 NBA season.

Gray won back-to-back WNBA championships with the Las Vegas Aces in 2022 and 2023 while also snagging a championship in 2016 with the Los Angeles Sparks. She is an Olympic gold medalist and five-time WNBA All-Star, among many other accolades.

This will not be her first foray into basketball analysis. She is a current ACC Network (ACCN) college basketball analyst for the 2023-2024 season. Gray isn’t the only Aces team member analyzing the game this season. Candace Parker works for Turner Sports as a basketball analyst and even head coach Becky Hammon is an ESPN analyst.

In addition to her analyst role, it was announced earlier this year that Gray will be a founding member of a new professional basketball league in the United States. Unrivaled was founded by New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier. The league will run from January through March and “feature 30 of the top professional women’s players on six teams, playing games of 3-on-3 and 1-on-1 at a soundstage in Miami.”

The offseason is shaping up to be quite busy for Gray, but there isn’t a true offseason in women’s basketball. So, instead, she joins numerous other players who head to their secondary or tertiary jobs when the WNBA season ends.

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Candace Parker becomes first player to win WNBA championship with three teams

Former Lady Vol Candace Parker becomes first WNBA player to win WNBA title with three teams.

Las Vegas defeated New York, 70-69, in game No. 4 of the WNBA Finals at Barclays Center in Brooklyn New York, to win the 2023 WNBA championship.

Las Vegas won the best-of-five series, 3-1.

Former Lady Vol Candace Parker became the first WNBA player to win a championship with three teams. She won titles in 2016 with Los Angeles and in 2021 with Chicago.

Parker did not play during the postseason. She last played July 7, before having season-ending foot surgery. In 18 games in 2023, Parker averaged 9.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

The Aces also won the WNBA championship in 2022. Former Tennessee player and assistant coach Nikki Fargas has won back-to-back WNBA championships as president of Las Vegas.

PHOTOS: Candace Parker through the years

The complete list of every WNBA player with a signature shoe deal

There are only 12 players that have had a signature shoe in WNBA history.

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson is dominating in the WNBA Finals, but even her unprecedented domination hasn’t garnered her a signature shoe deal. In fact, despite the record-breaking performances and overwhelming increase in viewership, there have only ever been 12 players with their own signature shoes bearing their names.

The WNBA is finishing up its 27th season, which means, on average, there have been .44 shoe deals per season. While the number has been rapidly picking up with three new deals in the past few seasons, shoe deals are not keeping pace with the growth of the WNBA.

The first shoe deal in WNBA history was the Nike Air Swoopes, named after legendary player Sheryl Swoopes. She was the first player to receive her own signature shoe, with the first model coming out in 1995.

The most recent player with a signature shoe? New York Liberty sharpshooter Sabrina Ionescu, which launched in February 2023. Currently, there are three players in the WNBA Finals with a signature shoe deal, including New York’s Breanna Stewart and Ionescu and Aces forward-center Candace Parker.

See the complete list of every WNBA player with a signature shoe deal: