After 16 seasons, the 3x WNBA Champion introduced her retirement from the league. Now, with the WNBA season beginning, she’s been named President of Ladies’s Basketball at Adidas. Extra about her profession and reactions from gamers and coaches across the league.
Three-time WNBA Champion Candace Parker despatched shockwaves throughout the basketball world when she introduced her retirement from the league. Promising she’d by no means “cheat the sport,” Parker is prepared for the subsequent chapter of endeavors in her life. In doing so, the previous WNBA Champion is leaving the sport in a greater place and going out on her phrases. Whereas some athletes go for a retirement tour, Parker ended her profession in personal. The previous WNBA MVP goes out the identical method she entered the league, together with her daughter Lailaa.
All enterprise apart, her high precedence stays being a mother and spouse.
In a heartfelt submit on social media, the WNBA veteran had two phrases, “I am retiring.” And for all the present and new gamers getting into the league Parker had a brief piece of recommendation, “take pleasure in it.”
Having spent 16 years within the league, Parker, finest often called “ACE,” revolutionized the sport of basketball. Considered one of one, Parker will certainly be missed on the courtroom.
Earlier than the announcement, Parker introduced she would return to the Las Vegas Aces in February. After signing a one year-deal with the reigning champions, Parker was restricted to simply 18 video games resulting from a fractured foot. Unable to return to the courtroom, she watched on because the Aces have been named back-to-back champions. A competitor her whole profession, no. 3 decided that was finest for her. Admitting rehabbing within the offseason “hasn’t been enjoyable,” Parker’s fractured foot merely hasn’t cooperated to the fullest. Total, she did remind us the ten surgical procedures she’s had in her profession.
For fairly a while, Parkers been featured as a commentator and analyst with NBA on TNT, which incorporates NCAA Match protection. Headlined by Shaquille O”Neal, the previous NBA legend is an in depth mentor and buddy to Parker.
And now, Parker lives out her new dream of entrepreneurship. Lower than every week after retirement, Parker was named President of Ladies’s Basketball at Adidas. Though she will not bodily be on the courtroom, she is going to stay a key think about elevating girls’s sports activities. The primary lady to have her personal “signature shoe” with the model, Parker is now tasked with constructing the manufacturers of present girls Adidas Athletes. That listing contains, however not restricted to Aliyah Boston, Aaliyah Edwards, Alysha Clark, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Chelsea Grey, Erica Wheeler, Chiney Ogwumike, Kahleah Copper, and Nneka Ogwumike.
“I need to congratulate her as properly on her new place with Adidas,” mentioned Dallas Wings head coach Latricia Trammell. “She really has a seat on the desk. Serving to make these choices of what is going on on, not simply being a mascot of Adidas. I feel that is actually huge for her, and I do know that she’s going to proceed to develop out recreation. It will not be on the courtroom. She is certainly going to proceed to develop our recreation.”
Congrats, Candace ParkerThe new President of Ladies’s Basketball at Adidas!
📼 @DUNKC0MP pic.twitter.com/3UoIRJVHYr
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) Might 8, 2024
Though she’s stepped away from the hardwood, the previous WNBA champion stays concerned with the league. Featured within the latest SKIMS’ Matches All people underwear marketing campaign, Parker was featured in a sequence of photoshoots, alongside together with her former teammate Kelsey Plum.
In her 16 years, Parker’s had a profound impression on the league. She’s needed to alternative to play alongside among the WNBS greats: Nneka Ogwumike, Kahleah Copper, A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Grey, simply to call a number of. After heading residence to win her second championship with the Sky, Parker had important affect on then Chicago guard, Kahleah Copper.
“Being in Chicago, I had Candace Parker,” Copper mentioned in a league extensive zoom interview. “I used to be capable of discover ways to proceed to grow– even after being a winner.”
Rising up, I began idolizing Parker since I used to be simply a youngster. Watching her, Diana Taurasi, and others fueled my ardour for basketball at younger age, which has solely strengthened over time. Just like Parker, I certainly to “fell in love with slightly orange ball at 13 years previous.” It wasn’t fairly often Parker matched up with UConn. However when she did, I discovered a approach to get to downtown Hartford, Connecticut.
The legendary battles between Coach Pat Summitt of the Tennessee Vols and Coach Geno Auriemma of the Huskies are completely etched in my reminiscence. Although I grew up as a UConn fan, there have been many nice facets about Parker that left a profound impression on me. Her love for the sport, professionalism, and authenticity. It did not matter that Parker did not select UConn as her first alternative. As somebody who bleeds blue, I beloved the best way she captured and adjusted the sport.
A generational expertise, there’s solely ever been one Candace Parker to go away the mark she did on girls’s basketball. The primary lady ever to dunk in NCAA match historical past, she did it twice. Actually, I will always remember her first WNBA dunk as a member of the Los Angeles Sparks simply weeks after I graduated highschool. Though she did not face the Huskies typically, who can overlook the well-known Parker “slam dunk in Hartford.”
The McDonald’s All-American’s well-known dunk is one which set the stage for her profession. Showing on ESPN, Parker competed towards a number of future legendary NBA gamers, together with Rudy Homosexual, Josh Smith, and J.R. Smith, amongst others. Actually, she was the primary lady ever to win the co-ed 2004 jam fest.
Due to the previous Girl Vol, I developed a deep love for sports activities and Ladies’s basketball as a complete. Now, following her retirement announcement, I am writing a column about her illustrious profession. She’s without end often called a trailblazer in girls’s basketball; nevertheless, she’s rather more than only a hooper. A businesswoman, mother, spouse, analyst, astute broadcaster and analyst, are just some of her many designations. I even made the trek to go to the Tennessee Sports activities Corridor of Fame simply previous to the pandemic.
A Naperville native, Parker was recruited out of highschool by the late Pat Summitt and the Tennessee Girl Vols. Opting to play for Summitt over coach Auriemma and the Huskies, Parker led the Vols to back-to-back Nationwide Championship titles in 2007 and 2008. At 6-foot-4, the previous Girl Vol primarily performed the 4 and 5. Nonetheless, she was most identified for her versatility. Not outlined by a place, Parker. Not solely was she the primary collegiate lady to dunk in an NCAA match recreation, she threw down twice in a single recreation.
On today, 16 years in the past, @Candace_Parker recorded the primary dunk in match historical past! 🤯#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/p5VzUBG476
— NCAA March Insanity (@MarchMadnessWBB) March 19, 2022
Drafted no.1 general by the Los Angeles Sparks within the 2008 draft, Parker went on to spend the subsequent 13 years of her profession with the Sparks. The one participant to win each the Rookie of the Yr and MVP Award in 2008, Ace shot a career-high 42.3 % from deep. Listed as an influence ahead, I will without end keep in mind her submit strikes and skill to play any place. Contemplating what number of ahead forwards and and facilities are capable of shoot outdoors the arc now a days, Parker set that tone. It doesn’t matter what place, she launched and manifested positionless basketball.
Again in 2008, I will always remember her astonishing rookie debut towards the Phoenix Mercury. A rookie, straight from Pat Summits system, single handedly defeated the defending champions. In a field rating full of assorted statistics, the rookie completed with 34 factors, 12 rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and one block. From that day on, Parker performed the sport how she knew, no matter her peak. The power to play one by 5, alongside together with her rookie impression, crowns her as among the finest to ever play the sport.
Her passing capability, athleticism, rebounding–Parker might financial institution a shot anyplace on the courtroom. She’s really a participant that might “do all of it.” Though the Las Vegas Aces acknowledged “the vast majority of her profession was performed in opposing uniforms,” the Aces launched a real assertion:
The dunks. The dimes. The boards. The blocks. The smile. The swagger. The reminiscences Candace Parker created for a era of girls’s basketball followers will stay ingrained in our collective conscience without end, however she has given a lot extra to the sport past her accolades and statistics.”
Candace Parker was the primary and solely WNBA participant to win ROOKIE OF THE YEAR & MVP in the identical season!!
She led rookies in scoring (18.5), blocks (2.3) & minutes and led the league in rebounds (9.5) & double-doubles.pic.twitter.com/5xHQWOjBrD https://t.co/FBrlhNWhiZ
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 9, 2024
It wasn’t till 2016 the place Parker gained her first WNBA championship, alongside Nneka Ogwumike, Chelsea Grey, and Kristi Toliver. The finals MVP, Parker is the one participant in WNBA historical past to win a championship with three completely different groups: The Sparks in 2016, the Chicago Sky in 2021, and the Las Vegas Aces in 2023. All through her illustrious profession, she has a number of accolades. That listing contains the next, however not restricted to: 2x MVP, 7x All-Star, All-Star recreation MVP, Defensive Participant of the Yr, Rookie of the 12 months, 3x WNBA Champion, blocks chief, rebounding chief, and 7x All-First staff.
Talking of protection, Trammell was an assistant coach on the identical time Candace Parker gained Defensive Participant of the Yr Award. A defensive minded coach, Trammell mirrored on CP3’s profession and her time with Los Angeles in a league extensive press convention.
“I feel she’s a legend,” mentioned Trammell. “She set that commonplace early on. Simply what I’ve seen her do– serving to the rookie alongside the best way. She was positively one that you’d need to go speak to, to see the way it’s finished.”
As well as, Parker was named to the twentieth and twenty fifth anniversary groups, and had fairly the profession abroad. A 5x Russian League Champion and Olympic gold medalist, Parker is strolling away from recreation giving it every little thing she had.
“I am grateful for the 16 ears I PLAYED A GAME for a residing time & DESPITE all of the accidents, I hooped,” Parker wrote on her private Instagram. “I am grateful for household, buddies, teammates, coaches, docs, trainers & followers who made this journey so particular.”
Thanks Candace for all the reminiscences, on and off the courtroom. Not solely was CP3 a task mannequin on the courtroom, she’s exhibiting the world you may obtain something you set your thoughts to. These endeavors go properly past the basketball courtroom.
Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter, Content material Creator and Supervisor at Ballislife Bets. She has a deal with the NBA, WNBA, NCAA Basketball, and the NFL. Sara Jane at the moment resides in Connecticut/NYC space together with her Cat and Canine. SJ has her undergraduate diploma from the College of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in enterprise administration.
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