The John R.
The John R. Wooden Award will celebrate it’s 50th anniversary this season. Leading up to the award ceremony on April 10, 2026, The Sporting Tribune in partnership with the Wooden Award and the Los Angeles Athletic Club will highlight past winners of the Wooden Award and the Legends of Coaching Award.
Surrounded by basketball excellence during her childhood, one could say Candace Parker’s destiny was already in the works. Her father Larry Parker played collegiate basketball at Iowa, and brother Anthony Parker played nine seasons in the NBA and now serves as general manager of the Orlando Magic.
Candace started etching her own name into some record books quite early. At Naperville Central back in Illinois she led her high school team to back-to-back state championships in 2003 and 2004. That performance earned her recognition as the Gatorade National Player of the Year twice.
Following her high school dominance she then moved on to play for the late legendary coach, Pat Summit at the University of Tennessee. During her time as a Lady Vol she was a two-time NCAA champion (2007, 2008) and later won the Wooden Award both years becoming the youngest women’s player to win it at the ripe age of 20. Parker was also the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament finishing with 26 points, five rebounds, and seven assists in a 102-54 victory over the Army.
“Coach definitely prepares you to play,” Parker said in an interview about Summit. “There [are] a lot of talented players out there, but being a Lady Vol brings a mental aspect. I think you have to have that work ethic and coach instilled that in us. Her favorite quote to say was, “Success is not a destination; success is continuous work.”
With all eyes on Parker, the spotlight continued to shine on her. She was drafted number one overall in 2008 by the Los Angeles Sparks. She didn’t slow down, rather she sped up. The power forward averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game at the end of her rookie season. Those numbers earned her not just WNBA Rookie of the Year, but also MVP, a rare double honor.
Parker continued to set the bar for the WNBA for the duration of her career. She was a seven-time WNBA All-Star, a two-time WNBA MVP (2008, 2013), a WNBA Finals MVP (2016), and a three-time WNBA champion (2016 with the Sparks, 2021 with the Chicago Sky, and 2023 with the Las Vegas Aces). Parker finished her WNBA career with averages of 16.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game across 410 career games.
Notably, she has played overseas with UMMC Ekaterinburg (Russia), Guangdong Dolphins (China), Fenerbahçe (Turkey), and Xinjiang Tianshan Deers (China) and also represented our country on the national scale becoming a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA (2008 Beijing, 2012 London).
Since ending her 16-season run in the WNBA, Parker is still well-involved in the world of basketball. She’s become a respected NBA and WNBA analyst for TNT and NBA TV, and continues to openly advocate for visibility and equity in women’s basketball.
Parker will be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in June 2026 in Knoxville, Tennessee, fittingly close to the University of Tennessee where the dream all started.
Category: General Sports
