WNBA legend Candace Parker is retiring after 16 years within the league. NPR’s A Martinez talks to Ben Pickman of The Athletic, about how Parker has modified the sport, and what comes subsequent.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
A legend in ladies’s basketball, Candace Parker, is retiring. As a substitute of becoming a member of the Las Vegas Aces for the primary day of coaching camp, she mentioned on social media that the competitor in her wished another season, however, quote, “it is time.” Ben Pickman is right here with us. He covers the WNBA for The Athletic. Ben, Candace Parker has been wowing sports activities followers since she gained a slam dunk contest in highschool. She was the No. 1 general choose within the 2008 WNBA draft, however after 16 years, is her retirement a shock? I do know she’s been coping with a foot harm.
BEN PICKMAN: I believe the timing of the announcement is a bit of little bit of a shock. As you talked about, it was the primary day of coaching camp. Groups throughout the nation have been submitting again and getting again to work. And so to do it when she did and never earlier within the offseason was a bit of little bit of a shock. However this was a participant who had handled some accidents, as you mentioned. She missed the second half of final season with a foot harm. She mentioned she had 10 surgical procedures in her retirement put up. However then the shock sort of moved on, and everybody was effusive of her reward, voicing their admiration for Parker, calling her a GOAT and icon, somebody who modified the sport.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. In her announcement, she mentioned that she had promised to depart the sport in a greater place. So stroll us by way of a few of her highlights that possibly helped fulfill that promise.
PICKMAN: She completely did simply that. I imply, that is, for starters, a participant who was positionless, actually. You realize, we use that time period presently about gamers who can do a whole lot of various things. At 6-foot-4, Candace Parker was capable of deal with the ball, convey it up courtroom like a guard, provoke offense. Courtney Vandersloot, a former teammate of hers with Chicago, instructed me the factor that jumped out most to her about Parker was Parker’s passing capability, that she made issues a lot simpler. So from an on-court perspective, she actually was forward of her time in the best way she performed. That is actually the very first thing that modified the sport. And so many gamers, each previous and current, actually look as much as her as a participant due to that aspect.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, talking of gamers within the current, you broke the information to among the gamers on the New York Liberty’s coaching camp yesterday. What was their response?
PICKMAN: They have been shocked, stunned. I imply, Breanna Stewart, who was final yr’s league MVP, a participant who performs rather a lot like Candace Parker in her capability to be versatile, seemed again and was – you already know, paused and mentioned, efficient instantly? Like, what? Like, she was absolutely, absolutely shocked. It is an incredible video. After which, you already know, Stewart and so many others turned and mirrored on simply the profession that she’s had. You talked about it. She had a star profession at Tennessee beneath the Corridor of Fame Coach Pat Summitt.
She then joined the WNBA, gained rookie of the yr her very first yr and MVP in the identical season. She ended up profitable two MVPs. She’s the primary participant and solely participant in WNBA historical past to win three totally different titles – championships – with three totally different franchises. That is somebody who then has an off-court profession that is, you already know, tremendous profitable and outstanding, as effectively, already as a broadcaster. So Candace Parker confirmed the best way, led the best way for therefore many and can proceed to take action on the planet of ladies’s basketball.
MARTÍNEZ: I keep in mind in 2008, when she was drafted No. 1 general by the LA Sparks. I used to be in a sandwich store in LA, and she or he was there consuming a sandwich. So I went as much as her and mentioned hi there. I used to be so nervous. You realize, nevertheless it’s Candace Parker. She had simply gained a nationwide championship. She was so good. She mentioned hi there again, after which I simply slunked (ph) away and ate my sandwich. However it was an incredible reminiscence as a result of she was such a celebrity again then and even at the moment.
PICKMAN: Yeah, and now you’ll watch her – you go from that have to watching her on TNT and NBA TV and CBS, the place she helps out with the NCAA match protection. You realize, she is such a fixture of so many individuals’s lives and can proceed to be, regardless that she isn’t taking part in, somebody who actually – once more, an icon, a GOAT, by no means cheated the sport, regardless of among the accidents that she had. Folks have been – you already know, she will probably be missed on the planet of ladies’s basketball and basketball extra broadly.
MARTÍNEZ: Ben Pickman is a employees author for The Athletic masking the WNBA and girls’s school basketball. Ben, as all the time thanks.
PICKMAN: Thanks for having me.
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