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.
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.
Candace Parker in tears with seconds remaining, then grabs the rebound and dribbles out the clock for her hometown Chicago Sky's first ever championship. pic.twitter.com/nYROD3LTux
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 17, 2021
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.
