On Sunday, the Los Angeles Sparks raised Candace Parker‘s jersey number (No. 3) to the rafters of Crypto.com Arena in recognition of her contributions to the franchise and impact on women’s basketball.
Parker Pens Emotional Speech at Retirement Ceremony
The jersey retirement ceremony took place at halftime between the Sparks and the Chicago Sky, two of the three teams Parker played for throughout her 16-year professional career. One of her former teammates, Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, spoke about spending the last two years of her legendary career with Parker, who was selected first overall in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the team.
When Leslie retired from professional basketball in 2009, she stated, “I knew when I handed the keys over the Candace Parker, the Sparks were in good hands.”
The heart & soul of the Sparks. 🥹 @Candace_Parker x @LisaLeslie pic.twitter.com/kYJftVdq40
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) June 29, 2025
“In 2008 when the lottery was between Chicago and LA, a kid from the Chicago land Midwest, I was a little partial,” Parker said in the halftime ceremony Sunday. “I wanted the balls to fall in LA’s court. I wanted to be out west. I wanted to be here, where all the eyeballs, all the lights, where there’s ginormous shoes to fill. When I landed here, (head coach) Michael Cooper, he said to me, ‘silt,’ that was my nickname. ‘If you win here, you’re a champion forever.’ So there’s one thing on my mind, and we got that championship.”
Before the ceremony concluded, Parker shared appreciation towards the Sparks’ fanbase and the organization and gratitude for having her jersey number retired by Los Angeles. She joins Leslie and Penny Toler as the three players in franchise history to have their jersey number retired.
Parker’s WNBA Career Accomplishments
Parker played for the Sparks in the first 13 years of her WNBA career, achieving numerous accolades during her tenure with the team. In her rookie year, she became the first and only player in WNBA history to win Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the same season.
Parker also won her second MVP award in 2013, was named the league’s peak performer three times, led the league in blocks twice, and participated in seven WNBA All-Star games.
One of Parker’s favorite moments as a member of the Sparks was when she led Los Angeles to a WNBA Championship in 2016. That year, she dedicated the championship to Pat Summitt, who was Parker’s head coach at the University of Tennessee after staring at Naperville Central (Ill.)
“It’s great,” Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray told Ballislife about Parker. “Whenever you think about Candace Parker, you think first L.A. Sparks. The one word I would use to describe her is legendary. She’s been a pillar in this league and how it helped transform what it kind of looks like. One of her biggest things she wanted to find or she wanted to leave the league better than she found it, and she’s done that. I’m a testament to that. Just the years that we played together, the type of player and person that I am.”
Parker became the first player in WNBA history to win three WNBA championships with three different teams. After the L.A. championship in 2016, she won with the Chicago Sky in 2021 and the Las Vegas Aces in 2023.
Aces forward A’ja Wilson spent only one season playing alongside Parker for the team in 2023. It was Parker’s last season in the WNBA before announcing her retirement just last year.
“This is huge,” Wilson told Ballislife pregame. “Candace has been a staple piece of this league for a long time. She was someone that a lot of the league didn’t really see before she did everything that I could dream to do. So to be able to call her my teammate is definitely just a blessing, and I’m so excited that she’s getting her flowers. They’re due, she deserves them all, and I’m excited just to see how her jersey retirement goes.”
Players and Aces’ Coach Becky Hammon Share Fond Candace Parker Memories
Becky Hammon mentioned Parker’s legacy and compared it to how Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry changed the identity of basketball. She also played against Parker during her professional career with the San Antonio Stars, both in the regular season and playoffs.
“She’s a player who changed the league in regards to style of play,” Hammon told Ballislife. “A point forward, multi-dimensional, offensive and defensive player, similarly to how Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors changed how people viewed the three-ball. They transformed the game.
“Candace had a similar effect on the women’s game, so far as bigs being able to handle bigs, being able to shoot, pick and roll and all that stuff, Hammon told Ballislife. “So well deserved, she’s one of the best competitors this league has ever seen. I’m super happy for her. She deserves her jersey in every place that she played, and she’s just that good.”
Candace Parker Set the Standard for Future Generations
Gray spent six seasons playing alongside Parker as teammates on the Sparks and Aces, winning two championships together and forming a friendship on and off the court.
“Winning two championships with her was huge,” Gray told Ballislife. “One of them, she wasn’t able to play as much as she would have liked (in 2023). But it’s the fact that it goes down the history books that we were teammates together. And then just us hanging out and being together, like off the court, she’s my son’s godmom. I’m her son’s godmom. So we’ve formed a family-type of relationship.”
Parker will also have her No. 3 retired by the Chicago Sky when they welcome the Las Vegas Aces to Wintrust Arena on August 25. She also will be the first player in league history to have a jersey retired by two different teams.
“Having her jersey retired in both Los Angeles and Chicago – two WNBA cities where she shaped the culture and identity of their teams – is a powerful and fitting tribute to all Candace has accomplished,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement. “On behalf of the WNBA, I want to thank Candace for being an extraordinary ambassador for the sport, and have admired her ability to balance her playing career, her family and her broadcast career. Her legacy will live on – in the rafters and in the hearts of fans everywhere.”
Parker arguably had as much impact on the W as anyone, alongside names such as Leslie, Cynthia Cooper, Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi, plus a few others. It’s a select group.
“We’re seeing it grow in its due time,” Wilson told Ballislife. “When you have greats like that that have laid the foundation down for me and all the younger generations to just follow that path. It’s truly something special. So I’m grateful to be able to have those goats, those Hall of Famers, to look up to when I first entered the league, and now it’s my opportunity. and others that are in my generation right now to continue to lay the foundation for the next players to come up.”
Parker deserves all the flowers and respect from fans worldwide, players, and coaches across the WNBA because of her lasting impact on women’s basketball.
