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Los Angeles Sparks power forward Candace Parker has had a fantastic 14-year career in the WNBA that includes five All-Star appearances, two MVP awards, and the 2016 Finals MVP award to cap off her championship winning season. As she prepares for her 15th season in the league, Parker took time during the offseason to give back to her community. She joined the DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation's Sports Matter program to gift deserving girls basketball players from the ABC Pilsen basketball organization in the inner city of Chicago with much needed athletic gear. Parker, Pistons' forward Blake Griffin, and Falcons' QB Matt Ryan were among athletes giving back across eight cities in the United States.
In an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints, Parker speaks on partnering with the Dicks Sporting Goods Foundation, giving back to her hometown of Chicago, the WNBA season, NBA season, and much more.
Tomer Azarly: What is it that you did today?
Candace Parker: So basically, we teamed up with Dicks Sporting Goods foundation and went back to my home city of Chicago and was able to give away gifts for youth sports programs and youth organizations that may have been underfunded or underserved during this time. Honestly, the best time to do this is during the holidays, spread cheer, spread joy, and honestly help kids continue to be able to play the game they love. I think what’s so important for me is that basketball has given me so much and to be able to team up with Dicks Sporting Good foundation, that’s kind of in line with how I feel about sports in that it’s more than just a sport, it sets you up for life. To be able to do that has really brought me so much joy to be able to be a part of that.
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Tomer Azarly: Why is it important for you to give back?
Candace Parker: Like I said, basketball has been so important in my upbringing, my life, in the way that I continue to handle myself and operate off the court and it’s not just about giving gear so that kids can go professional sports. It’s about allowing them to continue to learn the lesson that they’ll learn later on in life through sports and a lot of my best memories are surrounded by teammates or coaches or friends through basketball and it’s so important to continue to do that and I think its awesome that Dicks Sporting Goods Foundation launched this campaign and the Sports matter Program and driving a truck around and giving stuff to kids during the holiday season. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Tomer Azarly: How much are you thinking about yourself as a kid if a pro athlete were giving you gear, how these girls feel, and paying it forward?
Candace Parker: I still remember when the WNBA started and I remember when I ran into Tina Thompson out on the street one time and my mom ran up to her and asked her if she’d take a picture with me and I still have that picture, I still have that autograph so I know what it feels like as a kid to be able to experience something, to dream, to hope, and to aspire to play or to be a part of something. So now, it’s very special and I think it’s important for people to continue to give back and do that.
Tomer Azarly: How much has basketball taught you the way of life?
Candace Parker: So much. I wouldn’t have traveled to the places that I’ve traveled, I wouldn’t have been able to meet the people I’ve met and definitely (INAUDIBLE). If you think about later on in life, working in business, working in organizations, relationships, people, these are team sports. That’s what it’s about and I’m very lucky that I learned when I was a kid. It may have taken me a couple times to learn through sports, but I learned them and I’m thankful for it. I’m thankful for the experiences and the people in my life. Most of it has to do with basketball.
Tomer Azarly: Moving over the WNBA side, you guys fell in the single elimination game in the postseason. What’s next step for you and the Los Angeles Sparks to get back to where you were in 2016?
Candace Parker: Those are things we definitely have to look at in the offseason. Whether it be just mindset or whether it be individual different pieces that we need to add. For me personally, I’m gonna do my part. My goal is to come in in the best shape I’ve ever been in in my life. I think you have to as you get older and continue to focus on that. Honestly, that’s what I can control. I can control myself and how ready and prepared I am to hopefully fight for a championship this year.
Tomer Azarly: What was your experience like in the WNBA bubble?
Candace Parker: The bubble was good for me. You know, an older player, not having to travel, not having to take flights or cars or be stuck in LA traffic, early morning flights out. Just being able to have focus. There’s not much else to focus on in the bubble other than basketball. So to be able to watch film and make sure you’re getting your recovery in, and doing things like that, it really narrows the focus and so I had my family with me, so I was fortunate, I wasn’t struggling with that. I tried to take care of my mental health, tried to keep busy and things like that, but I’m a basketball fiend. Just give me basketball and I’m gonna be alright.
Tomer Azarly: You've had 14 successful years in the WNBA now. How many years you have left? Are there any other goals you want to reach before you call it a career?
Candace Parker: I will tell you this. I will not ever cheat the game. When I’m not able to be exactly who I am on the court, I think that’s when I walk away and who knows when that will be. But I can assure you I’m not gonna hold on. I’m gonna walk away with my head held high. I don’t know and I’m not gonna predict the future, but I do know there are more days behind me than are in front of me. Way more days. With that being said, I don’t know when that’s gonna come.
Tomer Azarly: You've made great strides as a woman in sports and become an inspiration to many. What's that like and how are you enjoying being an analyst at Turner?
Candace Parker: I love doing a lot of different things at the same time. I think the way my mind is set up is I would get bored if I just did one thing. And that’s kind of how it’s been. I’ve always been a mom and a basketball player or obviously moving into broadcasting, businesswoman, hopefully continue to kind of branch out. I’ve always been about versatility, even on the court trying to play multiple positions. My dad would get mad eat me cuz I couldn’t just shoot a simple hook, he’d get mad cuz I couldn’t shoot a simple layup, I had to put some like spin on it or a finger roll or something. So thats just been my entire life and. I’m gonna continue to try and find the positives from it.
Tomer Azarly: Is broadcasting the next step in your career after you're done playing basketball?
Candace Parker: Well honestly, I feel like the best job in the world is playing basketball and the second best job is talking about it. And I talked about it anyways, so I was kind of blown away that they were gonna actually pay me to talk about basketball since that’s kind of what I do anyways. So yea, I think I wasn’t ti continue in that path. I want to continue playing, continue to broadcast while I’m playing, and then when the ball stops dribbling for me, definitely definitely wanna continue broadcasting but it’s a lot of fun to be a part of that, be a part of that team.
Tomer Azarly: What were your thoughts on the Lakers winning the NBA championship?
Candace Parker: Well honestly, coming out of his offseason, I will say it felt like the Sparks didn’t carry their end of the weight. The Dodgers won the World Series, the Lakers won the NBA title, so it was like the sparks were kind of like didn’t carry their weight so thats one of the first things I’m thinking about going into this offseason. We gotta do our part for LA.
Secondly, the Lakers reloaded this offseason, and that’s the biggest thing that I think people take for granted is that the next year isn’t gonna be exactly like it was the year before. You’ve gotta continue to get better even if you did win and if you lost, you really gotta get better. And I think just watching the organization in the way they operate, the moves that they’re making to ensure that their team not only got better but got younger, that was huge.
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Tomer Azarly: The mantra after January 2020 seemed to be ‘Do it for Kobe,' Did you see anything like that on the court from the Lakers?
Candace Parker: Honestly, I don’t know if LA was the only city to sort of stop there. I think all of sports was doing it for Kobe. You look at Naomi Osaka, she was out there doing it for Kobe. Every soccer player, every football player that scored a goal overseas held up an 8 or a 24. I think the entire world was doing it for Kobe. Honestly, this close to home, there’s not a day that I don't drive by a mural or painting or some sort of reminder and thats the impact that he left and I think that a lot of people still have an impact as great as Kobe’s. I think it’s not gonna be something that just stops. It’ll continue to carry through sports through everybody else.
Tomer Azarly: The Lakers re-loaded, but the Clippers did as well after their disappointing loss. What do you think happens with the Battle of LA? Can you predict a winner for that?
Candace Parker: You know, honestly, I’m a believer in matchups. I think that the Clippers really still think that the Lakers didn’t want to match up with them, and I think that the Lakers are playing this season to prove that they weren’t scared of matching up with the Clippers. The playoffs are about matchups and who matches up better, and honestly, the Clippers did do well against the Lakers in the regular season. But its not about the regular season, it’s about the playoffs and the Lakers were good. They did a good job this offseason filling the holes and filling the needs that they had.
Tomer Azarly: Predictions for who you think will be the 2021 NBA and WNBA Champions?
Candace Parker: I mean, if you don’t bet on yourself, then I don’t even know why y our playing. Of course every year, this is my 14th year saying the LA Sparks are gonna win the WNBA Championship.
[As far as NBA] I would say, you know, I’m gonna say back-to-back. LeBron, he’s gone back-to-back once, I think he’s gonna go back-to-back.
