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On Sunday, the greatest women’s basketball player of all time, Candace Parker, announced her retirement on social media. This marked the end of a career for one of the best players in the sport and, for almost 20 years, one of the game’s faces.
Parker wrote on Instagram, “I pledged I would never cheat the game and that I would leave it in a better place than I came into it.” “It’s time, but the competitor in me always wants one more.” My body and heart knew, but I had to allow my intellect some time to come to terms with it.”
Parker, 38, struggled with a left foot issue during the 2023 season, which was her first with the Las Vegas Aces. As a result, she had surgery and was forced to miss the remainder of the season. The last match of July 7 was the day of her Hall of Fame career.
Parker possessed the “it factor”: The WNBA, Aces 1d, and the legend’s retirementVoepel Michael and Pelton Kevin
Parker stated on Sunday in an Instagram post that her foot “isn’t cooperating.” Parker had originally re-signed with the Aces on February 7th for a one-year contract.
“It’s no fun playing in pain (10 surgeries in my career); it’s no fun knowing what you could do if only…it’s no fun hearing’she isn’t the same’ when I know why; it’s no fun accepting the fact you need surgery AGAIN,” Parker wrote.
Having won NCAA titles at Tennessee in 2007 and 2008, Parker, 38, is among the most decorated athletes in the game. Prior to being chosen as the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA draft for women,.
Her three victories came from her native Chicago Sky (2021), the Los Angeles Sparks (2016, Finals MVP), and the Aces (2023). She became the only player in league history to win titles with all three teams.
In addition, she won two league MVP awards (in 2008 and 2013), was selected to the All-WNBA team ten times, was a seven-time WNBA All-Star, won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2020, and won two gold medals in the Olympics.
“One Candace Parker exists. One-to-one,” stated Aces head coach Becky Hammon. “There’s not very many people that can say they’re the first, but I would say that she’s the first who just threw off the labels as a basketball player and was just a baller.”
One of the most accomplished women’s basketball players is Candace Parker.
players in history. Her numerous accomplishments include two NCAA crowns, three WNBA championships, two MVP awards during the regular season in the WNBA, two Olympic gold medals with Team USA, and a WNBA Finals MVP award. Getty Photographs
Before Parker, a native of Naperville, Illinois, signed with Chicago ahead of the 2021 season, she spent 13 of her 16 WNBA seasons with the Sparks. At the time, this was a seismic move in a league where free agency movement had historically been minimal. Parker joined with the Aces after two seasons with the Sky.
“Although the majority of her career was played in opposing uniforms, we were blessed to have her as part of our championship team a year ago,” the Aces stated in a statement.
We lament the fact that she won’t be a part of our hopes for a three-peat, but we’re excited to have Candace return to Las Vegas as an Aces alumni and are eager to see what her next chapter in life holds.”
As the first and only player to be named WNBA MVP as a rookie, Parker made an immediate impression on the league while playing for the Sparks. She won three WNBA titles in her final eight seasons in the league and earned a second MVP in 2013 while battling a number of ailments.
“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,” said the team’s governor”She will forever be enshrined in Sparks history—from her standout MVP and Rookie of the Year season to leading us to a 2016 WNBA Championship and the way she’s revolutionized the game.
Her impact in the community and ability to inspire will always be felt here in LA. Through my many conversations with her about life after basketball, I am certain that she’ll be just as successful in the boardroom.
“Completing the Stat Sheet: Candace Parker is the only player in WNBA history to be ranked in the top 10 all-time for points, rebounds, assists, and blocks. Career rank: 6,574 (9th) Rebounds: 3,467 (3rd) Assists: 1,634 (7th) Blocks: 619 (5th)
the greatest scorers in league history—her five seasons with over 20 points per game on average rank second all-time—but her actual calling card as a player was her versatility as a forward with guard abilities.
She is the only player in league history to rank in the top 10 in all of those categories. She concludes her WNBA career with 6,574 points (16.0 points per game), 3,467 rebounds (8.5 per game), 1,634 assists (4.0 per game), and 619 blocks (1.5 per game) in 410 regular-season games.
In addition to Tamika Catchings, the only other WNBA women with 5,000 points, 2,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists are Swin Cash, Diana Taurasi, and DeWanna Bonner. Parker was the only member of the 6,000-point, 3,000-rebounds, and 500-block club outside of Sylvia Fowles and Lisa Leslie.
Parker made history earlier in her career when she became the first player in the WNBA to record several triple-doubles in her career and to dunk multiple times during the regular season.
“The splashes. The pennies. The planks. The building blocks. The grin. The swagger. Although Candace Parker has contributed so much more to the game than just awards and stats, the memories she made for a generation of women’s basketball fans will live on in our collective consciousness forever, the Aces stated in a statement. “As a teammate and mentor, a mother and wife, a baller, broadcaster, and businesswoman, she has inspired countless young people, both boys and girls, to chase and achieve their dreams.”
