Candace Parker

Candace Parker

Parker warming up before a game
No. 3 – Los Angeles Sparks
Position	Power forward / Center
League	WNBA
Personal information
Born	(1986-04-19) April 19, 1986 (age 30) St. Louis, Missouri
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High school	Naperville Central (Naperville, Illinois)
College	Tennessee (2004–2008)
WNBA draft	2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Los Angeles Sparks
Playing career	2008–present
Career history
2008–present	Los Angeles Sparks
2010–2015	UMMC Ekaterinburg
2016	Guangdong Dolphins
2016	Xinjiang Tianshan Deers
Career highlights and awards
WNBA champion (2016) WNBA Finals MVP (2016) 2× WNBA MVP (2008, 2013) WNBA Rookie of the Year (2008) WNBA All-Rookie Team (2008) 4× All-WNBA First Team (2008, 2012–2014) 2× All-WNBA Second Team (2009, 2015) 2× WNBA All-Defensive Second Team (2009, 2012) 3× WNBA All-Star (2011, 2013, 2014) WNBA All-Star MVP (2013) 2× WNBA rebounding leader (2008, 2009) 2× WNBA Peak Performer (2008, 2009) WNBA Top 20@20 (2016) AP Female Athlete of the Year (2008) USBWA College Player of the Year (2007, 2008) Naismith College Player of the Year (2008) John R. Wooden Award (2007, 2008) Wade Trophy (2007) Honda-Broderick Cup (2008) 5× Russian National League champion (2011–2015) 4× Russian Cup winner (2011–2014) EuroLeague champion (2013)
Stats at WNBA.com
Medals Women's basketball Representing the  United States Olympic Games 2008 Beijing Team competition 2012 London Team competition U18 and U19 2004 U18 Mayagüez Team Competition

Candace Nicole Parker (born April 19, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is the younger sister of former NBA player Anthony Parker. Parker was the first overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft. In high school, Parker won the 2003 and 2004 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year awards, becoming just the second junior and only female to receive the award twice.

A versatile player, she is mainly a forward, but was listed on Tennessee's roster as a forward, center, and guard. She may be best known for being the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game and the first woman to dunk twice in a college game—she set both milestones as a redshirt freshman on March 19, 2006. She also became only the second player to dunk in a WNBA game on June 22, 2008. Prior to her first WNBA game, Parker had signed long-term endorsement deals with Adidas and Gatorade. She led the Lady Vols to back to back national championships, was named the Final Four's most outstanding player of both, and was a two-time consensus national player of the year.

Parker has won an WNBA championship (2016), two WNBA Most Valuable Player Awards (2008, 2013), WNBA Finals MVP Award (2016), WNBA All-Star Game MVP (2013), two Olympic gold medals (2008, 2012), and the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award (2008). She has also been selected to six All-WNBA teams and three All-Star teams. Parker won the 2009 Teen Choice Awards as the favorite female athlete in the sports category, and was a guest star on various Nickelodeon Shows, such as Figure It Out and Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn. Parker became the first player to win the Rookie of the Year and the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award in the same season.