Candace Parker is a 15-year WNBA veteran and two-time champion who plays power forward for the Chicago Sky. Parker, who has also won two gold medals and two NCAA titles for Tennessee, is a TNT and NBA TV analyst, providing commentary on NBA and NCAA men's tournament games.
Parker, 6-foot-4 and 184 pounds, was drafted first overall by the LA Sparks in 2008. The forward played for the Sparks for 13 seasons before signing with Sky in 2021.
Parker recently made the rounds for her announcement to return for her 16th season. According to an article written by ESPN's Alexa Philippou, she made her announcement through The Athletic on Monday. She's in the last year of her two-year deal that she signed last year.
"Right now, yeah, I'm game," told The Athletic on a podcast published Wednesday. "Let's see if my body is this way in January, February, but I plan to play, I plan to come back," Philippou wrote.
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"That is how I'm entering the season. I mean, I don't know, I don't know what the future holds. I know my contract is up after this year. And there will be decisions to be made."
"At the same time last year, it was the reverse: I couldn't imagine lacing up shoes again. I couldn't imagine going through Game 27 on the schedule. And then a switch flipped in February and I was ready to go."
Parker is a seven-time WNBA All-Star, five times as a member of the Sparks and twice as a Sky. She's a proven champion as she won her first title in 2016 in Los Angeles and the Finals MVP, and then followed that up in 2021, winning the trophy for Chicago. She's also a five-time Russian National League champion and four-time Russian Cup champion.
Parker, the only two-time winner of the USA Today High School Player of the Year, starred at Tennessee before embarking on her professional career.
The seven-time All-Star was married to former NBA player Shelden Williams from 2008-2016. The couple share a daughter together, with Parker giving birth in 2009. In 2016, Williams and Parker parted ways over "irreconcilable differences."
In 2021, Parker married Russian basketball player Anna Petrakova in 2019 and the two were expecting a baby.
Altogether, Parker has two children with two different spouses.
The net worth of Candace Parker
There is no exact number of Candace Parker's deals with the WNBA or her other promotional deals. However, there have been reports about her net worth, which is around $5 million. According to Spotrac, Parker earns around $200,000 from her WNBA contract alone. She's had recent deals regarding additional deals with her other ventures, such as being an analyst for TNT.
In 2019, Parker signed a multi-year deal with Turner Sports to continue their partnership as an analyst for "Inside the NBA." Together, she also added more responsibilities, covering the NBA on TNT, NBA TV and the NCAA Tournament.
"I’m so excited to be returning to Turner Sports to work alongside the best teammates in the world," Parker told NBA.com. "I look forward to building on my experiences and learning, working, growing and most importantly, laughing, while covering a game that I love dearly."
Other than her basketball career, there are other aspects that contribute to her wealth. She's also a brand ambassador for many well-known brands and products, such as NBA 2K, Adidas, Gatorade, and JBL Audio. These endorsement deals have reportedly given her $3 million each year, according to sportsbusinessjournal.com.
Parker and her daughter are part of an ownership group of Angel City FC, a women's pro soccer team in Los Angeles.
In her 15 seasons in the WNBA, Candace Parker has averaged 16.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists while shooting 47.9%, including 33.3% from 3-point range.
Also read: Who is Anna Petrakova? All about Candace Parker's wife as couple is set to welcome a child together