Angel Reese acknowledges Candace Parker’s inspirational influence.
The WNBA is reacting to one of its finest players ever choosing to hang up her sneakers after 16 incredible seasons, and Candace Parker’s retirement has sparked a barrage of responses.Parker won the WNBA Finals while playing for the Los Angeles Sparks and the Chicago Sky, and she concluded her career as a winner with the Las Vegas Aces, her third career title.
Parker guided the sixth-seeded Sky to an improbable win in 2021, the team’s lone WNBA Finals triumph to date.Angel Reese hopes to alter that, and when she launches her professional career in the Windy City, her relationship with Parker will surely serve as an even greater source of inspiration.
The WNBA is reacting to one of its finest players ever choosing to hang up her sneakers after 16 incredible seasons, and Candace Parker’s retirement has sparked a barrage of responses.Parker won the WNBA Finals while playing for the Los Angeles Sparks and the Chicago Sky, and she concluded her career as a winner with the Las Vegas Aces, her third career title.
Parker guided the sixth-seeded Sky to an improbable win in 2021, the team’s lone WNBA Finals triumph to date.Angel Reese hopes to alter that, and when she launches her professional career in the Windy City, her relationship with Parker will surely serve as an even greater source of inspiration.
Reese acknowledges that she considered wearing Parker’s number.
In memory of Parker, who wore the #3 jersey throughout her career, Reese intended to wear it when the Sky selected her seventh overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Reese wanted to honor a true trailblazer and a Chicago hero, so she decided to wear the #10 jersey she wore at LSU instead of giving it to Camilla Cardoso, who the Sky selected third overall.
However, Reese later recalled that, given Parker’s decision to stop playing professionally, the Sky will most likely retire her jersey soon. That helped Reese decide whether or not to accept the jersey.
As one of the most renowned players in WNBA history, Parker is especially highly regarded for having guided the Sky to their lone championship three years prior. Chicago had a 16-16 record going into the 2021 playoffs, but they defeated the Connecticut Sun and the Phoenix Mercury to win the championship. Parker, a native of the Windy City, stuffed the stat sheet with 13.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and two steals per game over the course of 10 playoff games.
