WNBA legend Candace Parker has announced she’s retiring. Earlier today, the forward for the Las Vegas Aces shared on Instagram that she will be giving up the sport after playing in the league for 16 seasons.
“I promised I’d never cheat the game & that I’d leave it in a better place than I came into it. The competitor in me always wants 1 more, but it’s time,” she wrote in part, alongside a photo of herself as a young child, holding a basketball in her hands. “My HEART & body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it.”
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At 38 years old, Parker experienced a foot injury in the 2023 season. Following surgery for a fractured foot, she was unable to play for the Las Vegas Aces during the championship-winning season in July. According to CBS Sports. “This offseason hasn’t been fun on a foot that isn’t cooperating. It’s no fun playing in pain (10 surgeries in my career), it’s no fun knowing what you could do, if only…it’s no fun hearing ‘she isn’t the same’ when I know why, it’s no fun accepting the fact you need surgery AGAIN,” she added her the caption.
Parker is a highly accomplished athlete in WNBA history, starting her professional career in 2008 as the No. 1 draft pick for the Los Angeles Sparks. Prior to that, she secured NCAA titles in 2007 and 2008 while playing for the University of Tennessee Lady Vols.
Following a championship victory with the Sparks in 2016, she joined her hometown team, the Chicago Sky, for the 2021 season and won the championship that year. Two years later, she moved to the Aces and helped secure another championship, marking the team’s second consecutive win.
The legendary forward has also earned two Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012, and has been honored with the titles of Rookie of the Year, MVP, and All-Star multiple times throughout her career. Her last WNBA game occurred on July 7, after joining the Aces early in 2023, as reported by ESPN.
In a conversation with PEOPLE in February 2023, the mother of two shared her decision to sign with the Aces, citing her desire to be closer to family on the West Coast.
“I just really think at this point in my career, to be able to compete for a championship and to do it in front of my family, is the most important,” she said at the time.
“I fell in love with a little orange ball at 13 years old and BECAUSE of it my world goes ‘round. The highs are unmatched & the lows taught me lessons. On & off the court I’m proud I’ve always been true & stayed true to ME, even when it wasn’t popular,” Parker continued in her Instagram post. “I’m grateful that for 16 years I PLAYED A GAME for a living & DESPITE all the injuries, I hooped. I’m grateful for family, friends, teammates, coaches, doctors, trainers & fans who made this journey so special.”
Towards the conclusion of her lengthy statement she shared some advice for you g players who want to be a professional athlete.
“No matter how you prepare for it, you won’t be ready for the gap it leaves in your soul,” Parker finished the post. “Forgive me as I mourn a bit, but I’ll be back loving the game differently in a while.”