Candace Parker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Candace Parker
	Parker in 2017
Chicago Sky
	Power forward / Center/ Guard
Personal information
Born	April 19, 1986 (age 34); St. Louis, Missouri
Nationality	American
High school	Naperville Central; (Naperville, Illinois)
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
College	Tennessee (2004–2008)
NBA Draft	2008 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
	Selected by the Los Angeles Sparks
Pro career	2008–present
League	WNBA
Career history
2008–2020	Los Angeles Sparks
2010–2015	UMMC Ekaterinburg
2016	Guangdong Dolphins
2017	Fenerbahçe Istanbul
2017–2018	Xinjiang Tianshan Deers
2021–present	Chicago Sky
Career highlights and awards
	WNBA champion (2016); WNBA Finals MVP (2016); 2× WNBA MVP (2008, 2013); 5× WNBA All-Star (2011, 2013, 2014, 2017–2018); WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2020); WNBA All-Star Game MVP (2013); WNBA Rookie of the Year (2008); WNBA All-Rookie Team (2008); 6× All-WNBA First Team (2008, 2012–2014, 2017, 2020); 3× All-WNBA Second Team (2009, 2015, 2018); 2× WNBA All-Defensive Second Team (2009, 2012); 3× WNBA rebounding leader (2008, 2009, 2020); 3× WNBA peak performer (2008, 2009, 2020); WNBA Top 20@20 (2016); 5× Russian National League champion (2011–2015); 4× Russian Cup winner (2011–2014); EuroLeague champion (2013); 2× NCAA champion (2007, 2008); AP Female Athlete of the Year (2008); 2× USBWA College Player of the Year (2007, 2008); Naismith College Player of the Year (2008); 2× John R. Wooden Award (2007, 2008); Wade Trophy (2007); 2× Honda Sports Award for basketball (2007, 2008); Honda-Broderick Cup (2008);
Women's basketball
Competitor for the United States
Olympic Games
U18 and U19

Candace Nicole Parker (born April 19, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was the first overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft. In 2016, along with other stars such as Alana Beard and Nneka Ogwumike, Parker helped the Sparks to win their first WNBA Finals title since 2002. In high school, Parker won the 2003 and 2004 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year awards, becoming just the second junior and the only woman to receive the award twice.

A versatile player, Parker mainly plays the forward position. In college she was listed on Tennessee's roster as a forward, center and guard. Parker was 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. Parker became 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. In leading the Lady Vols to two consecutive national championships, Parker was named the Final Four's most outstanding player in both occasions, and was a two-time consensus national player of the year.

Parker has won a 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). Parker has been selected to six all-WNBA teams and five all-star teams, and was the first player to win the Rookie of the Year and the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award in the same season.

Parker is also an analyst for NBA games on TNT and NBA TV, having started covering Tuesday games during the 2019-20 NBA season.