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Hours before opening night of the 2022 WNBA season, Sky forward Candace Parker hinted that this season could her last.
In an interview with NBA TV’s Kristen Ledlow on the WNBA Weekly show, the six-time All-Star said she is entering the season under the assumption that 2022 would be her final year, but that there are plenty of factors remaining.
“I don’t know what the future holds. I know my contract is up after this year and there will be decisions to be made,” Parker told Ledlow.
Rosenberg: Candace Parker’s Journey From Chicago to Chicago
Parker enters her 15th WNBA season this weekend after leading the Sky to a championship in 2021. After Chicago’s title run, the 36-year-old said she thought about stepping away. After completing a workout at the end of October, Parker thought to herself that she “really might retire.”
“That’s how close I was … I was literally looking at my exercise bike and I was just like, ‘Yeah, that might have been a good time to retire. I don’t want to do this,’” Parker said.
“I’m game for playing five, six more WNBA seasons if I could literally have an easy button of getting in shape.”
However, the two-time WNBA champion told Ledlow she decided not to retire when her daughter, Lailaa, asked her to play one more year while driving home from her daughter’s game. That, and being in the Windy City has made it a little easier for Parker to continue playing.
“It’s really cool to be in Chicago, even outside of basketball,” Parker said. “It’s just something about being able to go over to my dad’s house and have dinner, my mom cooks pregame for me, to see my family and friends … it’s nice being back.”
In addition to playing on the court, Parker works as a NBA analyst on TNT and NBATV. Through 14 seasons, Parker has averaged 13 points, 8.4 rebounds and four assists per game.
Whether or not she hangs it up after 2022, Parker said she has truly taken the time to value every moment going forward. “There’s more basketball behind me than in front of me, and I realize that,” Parker said. “I’m excited for this ride.”
