Candace Parker, in a candid conversation on Dwyane Wade's podcast Thursday, shared insightful reflections on how legendary Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt was instrumental in Parker's path to success. As a key figure in the Las Vegas Aces' recent championship triumph, Parker divulged the unique coaching relationship she had with Summitt that profoundly shaped her career and life.
“It's crazy because I feel like my dad and Pat set me up for failure … They knew what buttons to push, they knew when to back off. They knew ehn to question. Because if you question whether I can do something, I'm going to stay up all night, all day, trying to prove to you that I can,” Parker said.
The relationship between Parker and Summitt extended into Parker's professional life, where the ethos instilled by Summitt continued to resonate with her. Summitt's leadership style was about empowerment and treating players with individual care, yet with equal respect.
“I think coach Summit’s leadership style was she listened, she empowered her players, and she didn’t treat every player the same. She treated us with the same respect,” Parker said.
Pat Summitt was like a ‘second mom' to Candace Parker
Parker's experiences at Tennessee under Summitt's leadership were transformative. Summitt's rigorous standards and personal dedication to the game were exemplified in an incident where Parker was ejected from practice for lackluster performance. The lesson in excellence was further emphasized when Parker arrived at the gym at 4 a.m. the following day to find Summitt already there, setting an unwavering example of commitment.
“We just clicked, and she just became like a second mom to me,” Parker said previously, “Every time I’m tired, I can hear her saying, ‘You’ve never arrived.' You are always working towards something, and what got you to this point isn’t going to be what keeps you here … That’s the story I always remember about her, and it's a story that continues to guide me.”
This demanding but nurturing approach paid dividends. Parker, the first WNBA player to win titles with three different teams, credits Summitt's philosophy for her tenacity and continuous pursuit of excellence. Summitt's legacy also influences Parker's approach to motherhood, as she strives to embody the same principles of hard work and authenticity in raising her daughter, Lailaa. Parker's dedication to being true to herself and her dreams is a message she intends to pass on to her daughter, a sentiment echoed in her documentary, “Candace Parker: Unapologetic.”
“I can't tell my daughter to be her, or to be who she is, or to follow her dreams, or to love who she loves, or to go and study what makes her happy if I'm not doing that,” Parker said. “I think so many times, not just athletes, but women especially, you have to say, ‘Sorry, sorry.' … No, you don't have to be sorry about being you and and doing what you love.”
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