Free-agent WNBA star Candace Parker is signing with the Las Vegas Aces, she announced on her Instagram on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Parker is returning for her 16th WNBA season following speculation over how long she’ll continue playing.
- She averaged 13.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game last season.
- Parker, 36, ranked as No. 3 on The Athletic’s list of free agents heading into this offseason.
Backstory
Drafted No. 1 by the Sparks in 2008, Parker spent the first 13 seasons of her career in Los Angeles. She recorded a near triple-double in her WNBA debut with 34 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. She went on to win WNBA Rookie of the Year and WNBA MVP, becoming the first player to win both in the same season.
Throughout her dominant run with L.A., Parker guided the Sparks to a WNBA championship in 2016, and was named the WNBA Playoffs MVP in 2016. She joined the Sky in 2021 and her impact was immediate, as Chicago won its first league title in franchise history in Parker’s first season.
Scouting report
Parker has been one of the most versatile players in the league since she entered the WNBA. The seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA champion helped Los Angeles to its third WNBA title in 2016, before surprising fans with a return to her…
