Candace Parker played her entire WNBA career for Los Angeles until she decided to go back home to Chicago and play for Sky. Thanks to the 35-year-old athlete, the team won their first WNBA championship; therefore, the Associated Press named her as Female Athlete of the Year for a second time.
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“There was something about going to where you started playing the game,” Parker told AP. “It’s exciting to play in front of the people who first saw me pick up a basketball. To win at home, I’m just now recognizing it a little bit. How special that really is. Something that is top on my list.”
Parker’s success in her new team started to be questioned after an ankle injury. But when she recovered and returned, Chicago began to win. “I’m really thankful for those who made my journey and the people who supported me, making it as smooth as possible. My daughter, my wife, my immediate family, we rolled with it. We wanted it,” she said. “Things are going to get hard, but stick with it.”
According to the publication, the athlete second-guessed her decision to leave Los Angeles because she didn’t want to be viewed as a quitter. “I’m a big believer when you start something you finish it. When you say something, you do it. I’m not perfect, as I do say stuff and don’t follow through,” said Parker, who is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist. “My parents taught me don’t quit. I wanted to finish my career in LA, but I also finished my contract, I committed to that amount of time. I didn’t ask to be traded. The better opportunity for me and my family was to go back home.”
To date, Parker is the only WNBA player to win the AP’s Female Athlete of the Year award. For her, the recognition increases exposure for her league. “The more visibility we get as a league, which seems like it is coming, the more we’ll see,” Parker said. “If you see it, see ... more and more talented players ... that are capable and deserving. This next wave of athletes that are able to have their career followed from the time it starts till the end are going to change the face of the WNBA.”
After receiving the honor, celebrities took social media to praise and congratulate Candace. Vanessa Bryant posted the news on the Instagram stories, while former NBA player Shaquille O’Neal hilariously tried to prove Candace Parker he could shoot.