Candace Parker, a basketball legend with three WNBA championships and two Olympic gold medals, has decided to hang up her jersey announcing her retirement from professional basketball, ending her career with the Las Vegas Aces. After 16 seasons on the court, the 38-year-old made the announcement on Sunday, April 28th, 2024.
In a heartfelt message shared on Instagram, Parker expressed her gratitude for the game that has been her life, saying, ” I promised I’d never cheat the game & that I’d leave it in a better place than I came into it. 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.”
6′ 4″ basketball player Candace Parker, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in WNBA history, led the Chicago Sky to their first championship in 2021. However, a foot injury kept her out of action for the last season, and despite her desire to return to the Aces for another season, she acknowledged the toll that injuries had taken on her body, stating, “”This offseason hasn’t been fun on a foot that isn’t cooperating. 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…. .”
Candace Parker’s journey began in high school, where she dominated the court for Naperville Central, earning recognition as the nation’s top player twice. She then continued her winning streak at the University of Tennessee under the guidance of coach Pat Summit, securing back-to-back NCAA championships in 2007 and 2008.
Drafted as the No. 1 pick by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008, Parker wasted no time making her mark on the WNBA. She became the first player in league history to be named MVP as a rookie and went on to win the award again in 2013 and continued won all three of her WNBA titles in her final eight seasons in the league. Over the course of her 16-year career, Candace Parker won championships with three different teams — the Sparks, the Sky, and the Aces, standing out as one of the most versatile and dominant players in the history of the sport.
Candace Parker who’s from St. Louis, Missouri leaves behind an impressive legacy, finishing her WNBA career with 6,574 points, 3,467 rebounds, 1,634 assists, and 619 blocks in 410 regular-season games — the only player in league history to rank in the top 10 in all of those categories.
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