Candice Parker always said she would know when to retire. That day was Sunday.
The three-time WNBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist announced on social media that his career has ended after 16 seasons.
“The competitor in me always wants one more and the time has come,” Parker wrote in an Instagram post. “My mind and body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it.”
Parker, 38, told The Associated Press in November that he was off the court last season with a foot injury but would like to play another season if he is healthy. But she warned that she was not going to “cheat the game” or herself, and she also said that in announcing her retirement ahead of the Las Vegas Aces' bid for a third straight championship. expressed the same thing. Parker has undergone 10 surgeries during his career.
“I promised myself that I would never cheat on the game and that I would leave it in better shape than when I started it. …I always play the court privately with my loved ones, without parades or tours. I wanted to leave,” she wrote. “I left the court with her daughter when this was supposed to be my last game. I ended the journey with her the same way I started it.”
Parker played his first 13 seasons in the league with the Los Angeles Sparks, establishing his dominance early on as a No. 1 pick, winning Rookie of the Year and league MVP in the same season. Parker is the only WNBA player to accomplish that feat, averaging 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists while helping the Sparks improve by 10 games in 2008.
Parker won his second MVP award in 2013 and his first title with the Sparks in 2016. She won her second title with the Chicago Sky in 2021 and her third title with the Las Vegas Aces last season.
“It's tough and it's bittersweet for myself because I wanted to be with her this year. On the other hand, I'm not sure what it's going to feel like when the time comes, when the time comes.” It's not what your head or your heart is saying. It's your body,” said ace coach Becky Hammon. “She changed the game. She changed what it meant to be a position player in basketball. She played every position. Talk about the guys who are playing now and the guys who are coming up. At the time, they were the ones practicing Candace Parker's moves.
She is the only player in league history to win championships with three different teams.
“The memories Candice Parker created for generations of women's basketball fans will forever remain etched deep in our collective conscience, but she was remembered for so much more than accolades and statistics. He gave to this game,” the Aces said in a statement. “As a teammate, coach, mother, wife, baseball player, broadcaster and businesswoman, she inspired countless young people, boys and girls, to pursue their dreams and achieve. I have done so.”
Parker played on the late Pat Summitt's final two national championship teams at the University of Tennessee in 2007 and 2008, before leaving with one year of eligibility remaining.
She won Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012, but was shockingly left out of the team in 2016.
“I think obviously Candiace has had a great career. It's kind of sad because I would love to go up against a legend,” said Liberty star Brianna Stewart. “What she's accomplished on and off the court has been great for our league. I appreciate everything she's done to help me get to this point. I definitely missed her this season. It will be sad to see it go.”
Liberty coach Sandy Brondello coached Parker overseas in Russia for several winters.
“She's a trailblazer. Just a great human being and what she's done for this sport,” Brondello said. “It would be nice to be celebrated. I have a lot of respect for her. Her kids grew up together when I was coaching in Russia. It's kind of sad. Everyone knows that I know it’s the right time.”
Parker began working in broadcasting during his playing career. She has worked as an NBA analyst on TNT and her NBA TV, as well as on CBS Sports where she is an NCAA Tournament analyst.
She had foot surgery in July 2023 and told The Associated Press late last year that she was still in pain.
“This offseason has been uncooperative and not fun,” she wrote in a post Sunday. “My mission in life is, as Pat Summitt always said, 'If you follow your people and your passion, you'll never fail.' Being a wife and mother remains my top priority. , I've learned that time passes quickly, so I'm going to enjoy my family to the fullest!”
Written by Doug Feinberg
