Candace Parker’s tenure with the Chicago Sky wasn’t long.
But it was impactful enough that the Sky have decided to retire her No. 3 jersey. The Sky announced on Wednesday that they’ll raise Parker’s jersey to the rafters on August 25 during a game against the Las Vegas Aces. It will hang next to Chicago’s 2021 WNBA championship banner.
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Parker played two seasons for the Sky from 2021-22. An All-Star in both seasons, Parker helped lead the Sky to the franchise’s only WNBA championship. In her two seasons in Chicago, Parker averaged 13.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 45.8% from the field and 31.7% from 3-point distance.
“Candace has left an indelible mark on women’s basketball at every level and has inspired countless players and fans through her outstanding leadership and basketball talent on and off the court,” Sky CEO Adam Fox said, via a team statement. “We are honored to retire her jersey and celebrate her incredible legacy as a Chicago Sky player.”
Candace Parker’s tenure with the Chicago Sky wasn’t long. But it was impactful. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
(Michael Reaves via Getty Images)
A graduate of Naperville Central High School in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, Parker left Illinois to play three seasons at the University of Tennessee, where she led the Lady Vols to two NCAA titles.
She then joined the Los Angeles Sparks as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft and embarked on a career that solidified her almost certain selection to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Parker won league MVP and Rookie of the Year in her first season in Los Angeles. When she’d wrapped her 13-season tenure with the Sparks, Parker had tallied two MVPs, five All-Star appearances, a Defensive Player of the Year award and a Finals MVP trophy after leading the Sparks to the 2016 championship. The Sparks will retire Parker’s jersey on June 29.
Parker left the Sparks in 2021 to play for her hometown Sky. After her two seasons in Chicago, Parker capped her career with her third WNBA championship as a starter for the Aces.
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