Former two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker was honored by the Los Angeles Sparks, who retired her jersey during a ceremony at halftime of their game against the Chicago Sky on Sunday, June 29.
Parker spent 13 seasons with the Sparks before joining the Sky as a free agent for the 2021 season. She spent two seasons playing at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, just 34 miles from where she went to Naperville Central High School.
The three-time WNBA champion will continue to receive recognition when the Sky retire her jersey at a ceremony later this summer.
“Having her jersey retired in both Los Angeles and Chicago – two WNBA cities where she shaped the culture and identity of their teams – is a powerful and fitting tribute to all Candace has accomplished,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “… Her legacy will live on – in the rafters and in the hearts of fans everywhere.”
The Sky will not play the Sparks again this season but hosts the Las Vegas Aces in Chicago on Monday, Aug. 25. Parker spent the 2023 season with the Aces.
Sparks retire Candace Parker’s jersey
The Sparks retired Parker’s No. 3 jersey to celebrate all she’s done for and with the franchise. During her tenure, she served as the face of the WNBA and made an immediate impact from the outset.
Parker played college ball for the Tennessee Lady Vols under legendary coach Pat Summitt before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft. She finished her first professional season as both the league’s MVP and Rookie of the Year and was named to the All-WNBA First-Team.
‘It’s super important to see this jersey in the rafters before any others because my 13 years here were super special,’ Parker said during a press conference on Sunday. “It was ups, downs, wins, losses, heartaches and rewards, but it’s super special to share that with my teammates and coaches with an organization that bet on me with the first pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft. That was a long time ago.”
She spent two seasons alongside Hall of Famer and WNBA legend Lisa Leslie, who also spoke at the ceremony on Sunday. Leslie (No. 9) and Penny Toler (No. 11) are the only other two players to have their jerseys retired by the Sparks.
“No. 3 will hang in the rafters because nobody else can do what Candace Parker has done for the LA Sparks,” Leslie said during the ceremony.
Parker is the franchise’s leader in assists (1,331) and second in points (5,684) and rebounds (2,902).
Candace Parker’s career accomplishments
Parker won a WNBA championship with each of the three teams she played for during her 16-year career. She won her first championship in 2016 with the Sparks and brought the Sky their first and only title in 2021. She finished her career with the Las Vegas Aces, who won the championship in 2023.
3-time WNBA Champion
2-time MVP
WNBA Finals MVP (2016)
10-time All-WNBA
Rookie of the Year (2008)
All-Rookie Team (2008)
Defensive Player of the Year (2020)
7-time All-Star
2013 All-Star Game MVP
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
