{"id":803205,"date":"2024-04-29T17:17:44","date_gmt":"2024-04-29T21:17:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/?p=803205"},"modified":"2024-04-29T17:57:25","modified_gmt":"2024-04-29T21:57:25","slug":"looking-back-at-candace-parkers-legendary-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wnba\/looking-back-at-candace-parkers-legendary-career\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking Back at Candace Parker&#8217;s Legendary Career"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>One of the greatest, ever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Candace Parker officially announced on Sunday that she is retiring from the game after more than a decade. Parker is undeniably one of the most influential, and iconic, players in the history of women&#8217;s basketball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/C6UEFJ8xWcW\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/C6UEFJ8xWcW\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/C6UEFJ8xWcW\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Candace Parker (@candaceparker)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>A champion and seven-time WNBA All-Star, Parker is also a mentor, a mother and an inspiration to many. As we celebrate CP3&#8217;s legacy, here&#8217;s a look back at some of the legendary moments throughout her career: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>FIRST WOMAN TO DUNK IN COLLEGE GAME<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Candace Parker becomes 1st woman to dunk in NCAA tournament history\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/morw1mgXtx0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Parker set the tone from the jump. Back in &#8217;06 as a freshman at Tennessee, she defied the notion that women can&#8217;t dunk and showed the world that she can by becoming the first woman, ever, to dunk in the NCAA Tournament. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>TOTAL DOMINANCE AT TENNESSEE<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1678\" src=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80569066-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-803207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80569066-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80569066-768x503.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80569066-1647x1080.jpg 1647w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80569066-150x98.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80569066-1536x1007.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80569066-2048x1343.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Playing for the late and great Pat Summitt, Parker dominated while suiting up for the Volunteers. Her college resume includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Winning &#8217;06 SEC Rookie of the Year. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Being the fastest player in Lady Vols history to score 1,000 career points. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Winning &#8217;07 SEC Player of the Year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leading the Lady Vols to back-to-back national championships.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Averaging 19.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.9 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1869\" height=\"2560\" data-id=\"803208\" src=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-73800181-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-803208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-73800181-scaled.jpg 1869w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-73800181-657x900.jpg 657w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-73800181-788x1080.jpg 788w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-73800181-110x150.jpg 110w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-73800181-768x1052.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-73800181-1121x1536.jpg 1121w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-73800181-1495x2048.jpg 1495w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1869px) 100vw, 1869px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1686\" data-id=\"803209\" src=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-640580160-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-803209\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-640580160-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-640580160-768x506.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-640580160-1640x1080.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-640580160-150x99.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-640580160-1536x1012.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-640580160-2048x1349.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong> THE ARRIVAL<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1803\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80576833-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-803210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80576833-scaled.jpg 1803w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80576833-634x900.jpg 634w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80576833-761x1080.jpg 761w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80576833-106x150.jpg 106w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80576833-768x1091.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80576833-1082x1536.jpg 1082w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80576833-1442x2048.jpg 1442w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1803px) 100vw, 1803px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Just one day after leading the Lady Vols to yet another NCAA national championship, the Los Angeles Sparks drafted Candace Parker as the overall No. 1 pick in the &#8217;08 draft. Really, that was just the beginning for Parker, who was set to team up with Lisa Leslie.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1599\" src=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80580134-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-803211\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80580134-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80580134-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80580134-1729x1080.jpg 1729w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80580134-150x94.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80580134-1536x959.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-80580134-2048x1279.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>THE ROOKIE&#8217;S REIGN <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2469\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-81317236-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-803212\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-81317236-scaled.jpg 2469w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-81317236-768x796.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-81317236-1041x1080.jpg 1041w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-81317236-145x150.jpg 145w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-81317236-1481x1536.jpg 1481w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-81317236-1975x2048.jpg 1975w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2469px) 100vw, 2469px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In her WNBA debut against the Phoenix Mercury, Parker dropped 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists\u2014breaking Cynthia Cooper&#8217;s previous rookie record in a debut game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her dominance and skillset was undeniable. Parker became the first WNBA player to win both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the same year. She was also pregnant with her oldest daughter at the end of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI was actually pregnant with [Lailaa] at the end of the year, my rookie year,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/the-magazine\/candace-parker-and-the-glory-of-going-back-home-slam-233\/\">Candace told WSLAM for the cover of SLAM 233.<\/a> \u201cI accepted the MVP and Rookie of the Year trophy with my daughter and then from there it\u2019s just been our journey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1702\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-83115640-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-803213\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-83115640-scaled.jpg 1702w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-83115640-599x900.jpg 599w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-83115640-718x1080.jpg 718w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-83115640-100x150.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-83115640-768x1155.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-83115640-1021x1536.jpg 1021w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-83115640-1362x2048.jpg 1362w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1702px) 100vw, 1702px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>THE 2016 &#8216;CHIP<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-616071692-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-803214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-616071692-scaled.jpg 1707w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-616071692-600x900.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-616071692-720x1080.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-616071692-100x150.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-616071692-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-616071692-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-616071692-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>During a season that was dedicated to Summitt, Parker showed up and showed out during the 2016 season. After beating the Chicago Sky, 3-1, they advanced to the Finals for the first time since &#8217;03 and went on to defeat the Lynx and bring franchise&#8217;s third-ever title back to LA. Parker was named Finals MVP. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI remember a lot about that series. Just the grind, the focus, the energy that it took to even get through that series,\u201d the 2016 Finals MVP <a href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/the-magazine\/candace-parker-and-the-glory-of-going-back-home-slam-233\/\">told WSLAM.<\/a> \u201cI think it also speaks to my innocence, because in 2008, we had a chance to go to the Finals and we lost on a last-second shot. I had a number of baskets that rolled off the rim. And I think that recognizing that, like, we won off of a rebound putback\u2026And everybody after that is telling us that we\u2019re the best thing ever off of one moment. I think it just kind of speaks to how you gotta stay the course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>RETURN TO THE CHI<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/wslam-2021-CANDACE-PARKER-SHOOT-x-SLAM1174-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-803215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/wslam-2021-CANDACE-PARKER-SHOOT-x-SLAM1174-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/wslam-2021-CANDACE-PARKER-SHOOT-x-SLAM1174-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/wslam-2021-CANDACE-PARKER-SHOOT-x-SLAM1174-1440x1080.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/wslam-2021-CANDACE-PARKER-SHOOT-x-SLAM1174-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/wslam-2021-CANDACE-PARKER-SHOOT-x-SLAM1174-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/wslam-2021-CANDACE-PARKER-SHOOT-x-SLAM1174-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It was the free agency announcement that shocked the world. After an illustrious career in LA, Parker announced she was taking her talents to the Chi, a decision that was as much about family and her life off the court as it was about her career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI believe a lot of things come full circle,\u201d Parker told us. \u201cI think just over the course of my career I realized how much important people have meant to my career. Coming back home, I mean, my dad fixed my blinds the other day, we went over to his house for Father\u2019s Day, my mom cooks me pregame, picks up my daughter all the time. Dad brings doughnuts over sometimes for my daughter, like, it\u2019s just, I can go see my grandma. I really respect the time that I moved away from home because I needed it. I needed to establish myself in my home and get away from that, but to come back, who I am now, to really appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile has-background\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(252,185,0) 0%,rgb(255,105,0) 100%)\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/the-magazine\/candace-parker-and-the-glory-of-going-back-home-slam-233\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"829\" src=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/60ee20058b3fd746503573b6_SLM-233-CANDACE-PARKER.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-799745 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/60ee20058b3fd746503573b6_SLM-233-CANDACE-PARKER.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/60ee20058b3fd746503573b6_SLM-233-CANDACE-PARKER-109x150.jpg 109w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-cbc7b0f61f4d8105a54cd1d288258843\">In our SLAM 233 cover story, CP3 opened up about her decision to join the Sky, returning home to Chicago and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-black-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/the-magazine\/candace-parker-and-the-glory-of-going-back-home-slam-233\/\"><strong>READ HERE<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>THE 2021 &#8216;CHIP <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-1235948585-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-803217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-1235948585-scaled.jpg 1707w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-1235948585-600x900.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-1235948585-720x1080.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-1235948585-100x150.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-1235948585-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-1235948585-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-1235948585-1365x2048.jpg 1365w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>History. Not only did Parker play a key role in helping lead the Sky to the 2021 WNBA championship, the franchise&#8217;s first, but she was renowned for her leadership\u2014in the SLAM 236 cover story, even former teammate Kahleah Copper praised her for it (<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/the-magazine\/kahleah-copper-slam-236\/\">read here<\/a><\/strong>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>TO VEGAS <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet again, Parker&#8217;s decision to take her talents elsewhere, this time Vegas, was centered around family. Despite injury, Parker&#8217;s presence added to Aces&#8217;s star studded roster as the team went on to win their second title as a franchise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Cn-cIIYyMde\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\"><div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Cn-cIIYyMde\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> <div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div><\/div><div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\"><div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div> <div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> <div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div> <div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div><\/div><\/div> <div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div> <div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div><\/div><\/a><p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Cn-cIIYyMde\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by Candace Parker (@candaceparker)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>THANK YOU, CANDACE!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/slamgoods.com\/search?q=Candace+Parker&amp;type=product\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\" data-id=\"803223\" src=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/slam-x-playa-society-candace-parker-tee-slam-233-758918.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-803223\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/slam-x-playa-society-candace-parker-tee-slam-233-758918.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/slam-x-playa-society-candace-parker-tee-slam-233-758918-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/slam-x-playa-society-candace-parker-tee-slam-233-758918-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/slam-x-playa-society-candace-parker-tee-slam-233-758918-250x250.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/slamgoods.com\/search?q=Candace+Parker&amp;type=product\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"2048\" data-id=\"803224\" src=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/slam-cover-tee-candace-parker-slam-233-837515.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-803224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/slam-cover-tee-candace-parker-slam-233-837515.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/slam-cover-tee-candace-parker-slam-233-837515-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/slam-cover-tee-candace-parker-slam-233-837515-1080x1080.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/slam-cover-tee-candace-parker-slam-233-837515-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/slam-cover-tee-candace-parker-slam-233-837515-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/slam-cover-tee-candace-parker-slam-233-837515-250x250.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-align-center wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/slamgoods.com\/search?q=Candace+Parker&amp;type=product\">SHOP COVER TEES<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the greatest, ever. Candace Parker officially announced on Sunday that she is retiring from the game after more than a decade. Parker is undeniably one of the most influential, and iconic, players in the history of women&#8217;s basketball. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Candace Parker (@candaceparker) A champion and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":531,"featured_media":803254,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[407,1863,63726],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-803205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wnba","tag-candace-parker","tag-wnba","tag-wslam"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/803205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/531"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=803205"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/803205\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":803261,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/803205\/revisions\/803261"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/803254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=803205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=803205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=803205"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.slamonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=803205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}