Photo Credit: UT Sports Information
Since the WNBA was established in 1996, there have been many superstars and once again, they are overshadowed by their male counterparts. One of the best and biggest names in the league right now is Candace Parker. Currently on the Los Angeles Sparks roster, Parker has cemented herself as one of the greatest female basketball players currently in the game.
Parker’s love for basketball began early, coming from a family that loves basketball. She started playing soccer when she was younger, fearing her lack of abilities on the court. Eventually, however, her family was able to convince her to pursue basketball. She began playing in 8th grade and hasn’t stopped since. During her high school years, Parker accumulated 2,768 points and 1,592 rebounds, only missing two games during her entire four-year career. She also received the USA Today High School Player of The Year and Gatorade Female Basketball Player of the Year Award twice.
After all of the accolades that Parker received in high school, she decided to attend the University of Tennessee. She chose to forgo her senior year to enter the WNBA draft. During her freshman season, she became the first woman to dunk twice in an NCAA game and was named the SEC Rookie Of The Year. Her sophomore year, Parker scored her 1,000th career point and was named the SEC Player of the Year. She was one of the best female basketball players in the school’s history with 100 wins and only 10 losses, averaging 19.4 points per game.
In 2008, Parker was selected first overall in the WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. She has broken multiple records like she did in college, becoming only the second woman to dunk in the WNBA. Much like her college career, Parker earned many accolades during her rookie season. She would become the third basketball player, male or female, to be named Rookie Of the Year along with MVP as a rookie and the first WNBA player to earn that.
Parker had a career year in 2013 which included playing in her first All-Star game. She scored 23 points and racked up 11 rebounds during the game, helping the West to win. She was named the game MVP. In addition to being the All-Star MVP, she was named league MVP for the second time and was named to the All-WNBA First Team for the third time. She also played for the US Women’s Olympic basketball team in 2008 and 2012, helping the USA win gold medals both years.
Parker is mainly known for her personal life after having her Instagram feed featured in an Adidas commercial. In 2008, she married Shelden Williams and the couple welcomed their first child, Lailaa Nicole Williams in 2009. When Parker’s career ends, she will certainly be known as one of the best WNBA players ever. Hopefully, she gets as much recognition as she deserves between now and then.
