Looking Back at Candace Parker’s Legendary Career

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’s basketball.

A champion and seven-time WNBA All-Star, Parker is also a mentor, a mother and an inspiration to many. As we celebrate CP3’s legacy, here’s a look back at some of the legendary moments throughout her career:

---

FIRST WOMAN TO DUNK IN COLLEGE GAME

Parker set the tone from the jump. Back in ’06 as a freshman at Tennessee, she defied the notion that women can’t dunk and showed the world that she can by becoming the first woman, ever, to dunk in the NCAA Tournament.

---

TOTAL DOMINANCE AT TENNESSEE

Playing for the late and great Pat Summitt, Parker dominated while suiting up for the Volunteers. Her college resume includes:

• Winning ’06 SEC Rookie of the Year.
• Being the fastest player in Lady Vols history to score 1,000 career points.
• Winning ’07 SEC Player of the Year.
• Leading the Lady Vols to back-to-back national championships.
• Averaging 19.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.9 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game.

---

THE ARRIVAL

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 ’08 draft. Really, that was just the beginning for Parker, who was set to team up with Lisa Leslie.

---

THE ROOKIE’S REIGN

In her WNBA debut against the Phoenix Mercury, Parker dropped 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists—breaking Cynthia Cooper’s previous rookie record in a debut game.

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.

“I was actually pregnant with [Lailaa] at the end of the year, my rookie year,” Candace told WSLAM for the cover of SLAM 233. “I accepted the MVP and Rookie of the Year trophy with my daughter and then from there it’s just been our journey.”

---

THE 2016 ‘CHIP

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 ’03 and went on to defeat the Lynx and bring franchise’s third-ever title back to LA. Parker was named Finals MVP.

“I remember a lot about that series. Just the grind, the focus, the energy that it took to even get through that series,” the 2016 Finals MVP told WSLAM. “I 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…And everybody after that is telling us that we’re the best thing ever off of one moment. I think it just kind of speaks to how you gotta stay the course.”

---

RETURN TO THE CHI

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.

“I believe a lot of things come full circle,” Parker told us. “I 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’s Day, my mom cooks me pregame, picks up my daughter all the time. Dad brings doughnuts over sometimes for my daughter, like, it’s 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.”

In our SLAM 233 cover story, CP3 opened up about her decision to join the Sky, returning home to Chicago and more.

---

THE 2021 ‘CHIP

History. Not only did Parker play a key role in helping lead the Sky to the 2021 WNBA championship, the franchise’s first, but she was renowned for her leadership—in the SLAM 236 cover story, even former teammate Kahleah Copper praised her for it (read here).

---

TO VEGAS

Yet again, Parker’s decision to take her talents elsewhere, this time Vegas, was centered around family. Despite injury, Parker’s presence added to Aces’s star studded roster as the team went on to win their second title as a franchise.

---

THANK YOU, CANDACE!