Candace Parker, a former No. 1 overall pick, three-time WNBA champion and two-time MVP, announced her retirement Sunday.
The 38-year-old forward spent the 2023 season with the Aces, appearing in 18 games with Las Vegas before dealing with a foot injury that shortened her season.
“I promised I’d never cheat the game & that I’d leave it in a better place than I came into it,” Parker wrote in a post on Instagram. “The competitor in me always wants 1 more, but it’s time. My HEART & body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it. I always wanted to walk off the court with no parade or tour, just privately with the ones I love.
Candace Parker spent her final WNBA season with the Aces in 2023, appearing in 18 games. AP
“What now was to be my last game, I walked off the court with my daughter. I ended the journey just as I started it, with her. This offseason hasn’t been fun on a foot that isn’t cooperating. It’s no fun playing in pain (10 surgeries in my career) it’s no fun knowing what you could do, if only…it’s no fun hearing “she isn’t the same” when I know why, it’s no fun accepting the fact you need surgery AGAIN.”
Parker joined the Los Angeles Sparks as the No. 1 overall pick after her collegiate career at Tennessee, and she spent 13 years with the organization before joining the Chicago Sky for two — and spending her final campaign in Las Vegas.
Candace Parker spent two seasons with the Chicago Sky after 13 with the Los Angeles Sparks. USA TODAY Sports
She also won two Olympic gold medals — in 2008 and 2012 — and became one of the most prominent WNBA players throughout her career.
“Today’s players: ENJOY IT,” Parker wrote later in her Instagram post. “No matter how you prepare for it, you won’t be ready for the gap it leaves in your soul. Forgive me as I mourn a bit, but I’ll be back loving the game differently in a while.”
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