Candace Parker

Candace Nicole Parker (born April 19, 1986) nicknamed "CP3" and "Ace" , is an American professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest WNBA players of all time, she was selected as the first overall pick in the 2008 WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. She spent 13 seasons on the Sparks, two seasons with the Chicago Sky, and as of 2023 has spent one season with the Las Vegas Aces, winning a championship with each team.

Candace Parker
Candace Parker in 2017
No. 3 Las Vegas Aces
PositionPower forward
LeagueWNBA
Personal information
Born (1986-04-19) April 19, 1986
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight184 lb (83 kg)
Career information
High schoolNaperville Central
(Naperville, Illinois)
CollegeTennessee (2004–2008)
WNBA draft2008: 1st round, 1st overall pick
Selected by the Los Angeles Sparks
Playing career2008–present
Career history
20082020Los Angeles Sparks
2010–2015UMMC Ekaterinburg
2016Guangdong Dolphins
2017Fenerbahçe
2017–2018Xinjiang Tianshan Deers
20212022Chicago Sky
2023–presentLas Vegas Aces
Career highlights and awards
Stats at WNBA.com
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
2008 Beijing Team competition
2012 London Team competition
U18 and U19
2004 U18 MayagüezTeam Competition

A versatile player, Parker mainly plays the forward and center positions. In high school, Parker won the 2003 and 2004 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year awards, becoming just the second junior and the only woman to receive the award twice. As a college player for Tennessee, she led the team to two consecutive national championships (2007, 2008), was named the Final Four's most outstanding player in both occasions and was a two-time consensus national player of the year. As a redshirt freshman, she became the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game and the first woman to dunk twice in a college game. After being selected in the WNBA Draft, Parker signed long-term endorsement deals with Adidas and Gatorade.

In 2016, Parker led the Sparks to win their first WNBA Finals title since 2002 and won the WNBA Finals MVP Award. In 2021, she helped the Sky win their first title. Parker has won two WNBA Most Valuable Player Awards (2008, 2013), a WNBA All-Star Game MVP Award (2013), two Olympic gold medals (2008, 2012), and the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award (2008). She has been selected to six All-WNBA teams and five All-Star teams, and was the first player to win the Rookie of the Year and the MVP awards in the same season. Parker became the second player to dunk in a WNBA game on June 22, 2008.

Since 2018, Parker has been an analyst and commentator for Turner Sports, providing coverage for NBA games on TNT and NBA TV and for the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

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