Candace Parker drops heartfelt reaction to Kobe Bryant's daughter Bianka's impressive first pitch

Candace Parker was at Dodger Stadium on Sunday to watch the game between the LA Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays. The fans couldn’t wait for the opening ceremony as the MLB team had a special guest. Bianka Bryant, one of the late Kobe Bryant’s daughters, was scheduled to throw the first pitch of the game.

With the spotlight on her and the crowd shouting “Kobe,” the seven-year-old stepped up to the mound and delivered the pitch. Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts caught the pitch before running to congratulate the grinning Bryant.

Candace Parker posted a clip of Bianka's first pitch and reacted to it on Instagram:

“You see that look before she threw it [fire emojis] YEAAAAA BB!”

Candace Parker's reaction to Bianka Bryant's ceremonial toss at Dodger Stadium. [photo: @candaceparker/Instagram]

Bianka's mom, Vanessa Bryant, and sisters Natalie and Capri Kobe, were also in attendance. They were behind Betts, encouraging and cheering her on. After the ceremonial toss, the third among the four sisters also opened the game by saying:

“It’s time for Dodgers baseball,” Bianka said.

Bianka Bryant opening the Dodgers-Rays game. [photo: @candaceparker/Instagram]

Candace Parker’s career in the WNBA started with the LA Sparks, the LA Lakers’ counterpart in women’s basketball. The “Black Mamba” was a huge supporter of the “W,” particularly for the Sparks. Parker considered Bryant her mentor, so it wasn’t surprising how excited she was to see Bianka Bryant do the ceremonial toss.

2016 was a special year for both Parker and the Lakers legend. It was the year Parker delivered a championship, a few months after Bryant dropped the mic with his famous “Mamba Out” line. They stayed close after “KB24” retired from basketball.

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Candace Parker has coached Bianka Bryant in basketball

Candace Parker retired from basketball in 2023. After 16 years in the WNBA, she called it a career after her nagging foot injury continued to bother her. She stopped competing as she didn’t want to “cheat the game.”

Retirement hasn’t stopped her from giving back to the sport. She signed a deal with Adidas with the purpose of “influencing and elevating the future of women’s sports.” It didn’t take long for her to visit the Mamba & Mambacita Skills Academy.

The LA Sparks great took time to teach no less than Bianka Bryant the finer points of basketball. The two-time WNBA MVP shared a story on Instagram and captioned it with:

“Look at the wrist loaded under the ball….on her toes…Basketball in her blood! #MiniMamba Aunty Candace is so proud of you BB”

On Sunday, “Aunty Candace” showed the same passion in cheering for Bianka Bryant. Although the younger Bryant wasn’t playing basketball, Parker’s excitement was just as heartfelt.