Candace Parker Announces Retirement After Historic 16-Year Career

LAS VEGAS (April 28, 2024)—Three-time WNBA Champion, and two-time league MVP Candace Parker introduced her retirement right now following a storied 16-year profession.

Please go to Candace’s instagram web page for her official announcement.

Please click on right here for a press release from the Aces.

The 6-4 ahead/middle signed with the Aces previous to the 2023 season, and began the primary 18 video games of the yr main Las Vegas to a 16-2 report. She was averaging 9.0 factors, 5.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per sport earlier than having surgical procedure on her left foot which sidelined her for the rest of the season. With the 2023 WNBA crown, the No. 1 choose within the 2008 WNBA Draft grew to become the primary participant in league historical past to win a championship with three completely different groups, having additionally executed so with Los Angeles (2016) and Chicago (2021).

Named to the WNBA High 20 at 20 and W25 groups, Parker is a 10-time All-WNBA honoree who performed her first 13 seasons within the league with the Los Angeles Sparks. She grew to become the primary participant in WNBA historical past to be named Rookie of the Yr and Most Useful Participant in the identical season when she averaged 18.5 factors, 9.5 rebounds and three.4 assists whereas serving to the Sparks to a 10-win enchancment in 2008.

A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Parker led LA to 11 playoff appearances, together with the 2016 WNBA Championship. She earned her second MVP award in 2013 when she averaged 17.9 factors, 8.7 rebounds and three.8 assists.

The Tennessee grad signed as a free agent with Chicago on February 1, 2021, and led the Sky to their first-ever WNBA Championship that very same yr.

As a collegian, Parker led the Woman Vols to the 2007 and 2008 NCAA Championships, incomes Ultimate 4 Most Excellent Participant accolades each years.

Since 2018, Parker has labored as an analyst and commentator for NBA on TNT, throughout the WNBA offseason. In 2019, she labored as an analyst for the NCAA Division I Males’s Basketball Championship Sport, and started serving as an analyst and commentator for NBA TV and NCAA Match protection on CBS Sports activities.