Las Vegas Aces star Candace Parker is retiring from the WNBA.
The three-time WNBA champion and two-time league MVP announced via Instagram on Sunday that she is retiring after 16 years of playing professional basketball.
“I promised I’d never cheat the game & that I’d leave it in a better place than I came into it. 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,” Parker said via her social media post.
The retirement announcement comes as somewhat of a surprise, as Parker had previously said she planned to play again with the Aces, re-signing with them during the free agency period. However, a foot injury she sustained last July is bringing her career to a close. Her last WNBA game was July 7.
“This offseason hasn’t been fun on a foot that isn’t cooperating. It’s no fun playing in pain … 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,” Parker said. “I always wanted to walk off the court with no parade or tour, just privately with the ones I love. 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.”
Candace Parker's impressive resume
At 38, Parker stands out as one of basketball's most illustrious players. She helped lead the Tennessee women’s basketball team to two NCAA championships in 2007 and 2008, and was the No. 1. pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. She played for the Sparks for several seasons, during which her daughter was also born. As an unrestricted free agent in 2021, Parker signed with the Chicago Sky on a two-year deal, before signing with the Aces in 2023.
Her impressive resume includes winning titles with the Sparks in 2016, when she was named Finals MVP, the Sky in 2021 and the Aces in 2023. She was the league Rookie of the Year in 2008, and was named WNBA MVP twice: impressively in her rookie year and again in 2013, via ClutchPoints. She made seven WNBA All-Star appearances, earning the title of the league's defensive player of the year in 2020. She also participated as a two-time Olympian in the 2008 and 2012 games, per Alexa Philippou of ESPN.
“I fell in love with a little orange ball at 13 years old and BECAUSE of it my world goes ‘round. The highs are unmatched & the lows taught me lessons. On & off the court I’m proud I’ve always been true & stayed true to ME, even when it wasn’t popular,” Parker said. “I’m grateful that for 16 years I PLAYED A GAME for a living & DESPITE all the injuries, I hooped. I’m grateful for family, friends, teammates, coaches, doctors, trainers & fans who made this journey so special.”
Despite retirement, her announcement hinted that she would be staying busy pursuing business endeavors both in the NBA and WNBA, and that “this is just the beginning.”
“In the mean time, know IM A BUSINESS, man, not a businessman. …I’m attacking business, private equity, ownership (I will own both a NBA & WNBA team), broadcasting, production, boardrooms, beach volleyball, dominoes … with the same intensity & focus I did basketball,” she said. “My mission in life, like Pat Summitt always said, is to ‘chase people and passions and you will never fail.' Being a wife & mom still remains priority #1 & I’ve learned that time flies, so I plan to enjoy my family to the fullest!”
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