Candace Parker
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Candace Parker | |
|---|---|
 Parker (left) gets ready for the jump ball |
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| Los Angeles Sparks | |
| Position: Forward |
Jersey #: 3 |
| Height: 6 ft 4.25 in (1.94 m) |
Weight: 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Born: April 19, 1986 | |
| in St. Louis, Missouri | |
| Nationality: American | |
| Career information | |
| WNBA career: 2008–present | |
| WNBA Draft: 1st overall, 2008 | |
| Selected by: Los Angeles Sparks | |
| College: Tennessee | |
| High school: Naperville Central High | |
| WNBA Profile | |
| Awards and honors | |
| Wade Trophy winner (2007) USBWA Player of the Year (2007) Wooden Award (2007, 2008) Naismith Award (2008) Honda-Broderick Cup (2008) WNBA Rookie of the Year (2008) WNBA MVP (2008) |
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| Olympic medal record | ||
Competitor for  United States |
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|---|---|---|
| Women's Basketball | ||
| Gold | Beijing 2008 | National team |
Candace Nicole Parker (born April 19, 1986 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an All-American basketball player for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks. She was drafted to the team from Tennessee in 2008. She may be best known for being 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. She also became only the second player to dunk in a WNBA game on June 22, 2008.[1][2][3]
A versatile player, she is mainly a forward, but was listed on Tennessee's roster as a forward, center, and guard.[4] She was a starter on the Lady Vols basketball team, winners of the 2007 and 2008 NCAA championships.
Candace won the 2009 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice award as the favorite female athlete in the sports category.
Contents |
[edit] Playing career
[edit] High School
Like older brother Anthony Parker, who is currently playing guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, she attended Naperville Central High School in Naperville, Illinois; she graduated in 2004. While in high school, Parker led her basketball team to state titles in 2003 and 2004 and amassed numerous accolades.
She is the only two-time award winner of the USA Today Player of the Year, winning the award in 2003 and 2004. Parker won the Naismith and Gatorade Awards as national basketball player of the year during her upper high school years. She won the Gatorade award again in her senior year to join only Marion Jones and LeBron James as the only back to back winners.
She was a consensus pick as player of the year in Illinois in 2002, 2003, and 2004. A four-year member of the All-State first team, Parker compiled a school-record 2,768 points (22.9 points per game) and 1,592 rebounds (13.2 rebounds per game), while starting 119 of the 121 games in which she played. She also became the first women's player to announce her NCAA women's basketball verbal commitment live on ESPNEWS.
The summer after her junior year in high school, Parker tore her ACL in her left knee in a summer league game. She returned in December of her senior year and went on to lead her school to its second consecutive state title.
In August 2004, the "CP-3"s, Team USA roommates Candace Parker and Courtney Paris, led the undefeated USA Junior World Championship team to a Gold medal with 16.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg and 15.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg respectively. While training, Parker had a relapse of knee pain and was required to undergo surgery in her lateral meniscus and the lateral articular cartilage in her left knee.
[edit] College Years
Parker attended the University of Tennessee. She took a medical redshirt her freshman year of college, and started for the Tennessee Lady Vols during the 2005-06 season. She was the Southeastern Conference Rookie of the Year (Coaches and AP) and helped the Lady Vols win the 2006 SEC Tournament Championship. With 17 seconds remaining in the 2006 SEC Tournament Championship Game against LSU, Parker hit the game-winning shot. She was named Tournament MVP and was named to the 2006 Kodak All-America team, making her one of the few to ever receive the award as a freshman. However, in the NCAA Tournament regional finals against North Carolina, Parker got in early foul trouble and was out of the game for much of the first half. The University of North Carolina ultimately won the game.
Parker was the only college player named to the USA squad for the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women in Brazil. The USA squad finished in third place.
On January 28, 2007, in an away game against Alabama, Parker scored her 1,000th career point as a sophomore making her the fastest player in Lady Vol history to do so. She did it in 56 games, besting Chamique Holdsclaw's mark of 57 games and Tamika Catchings's of 58 games. On March 1, at the SEC tournament in Duluth, Georgia, Parker was named the 2007 SEC Player of the Year. On April 3, she led the Lady Vols to their first National Championship victory since 1998 with 17 points, and earned the tournament's Most Outstanding Player honor.
Parker announced on February 21, 2008 that she would forego her final season of eligibility at Tennessee in order to focus on the 2008 Olympics and pursue a professional career. She graduated with her incoming class in May 2008.[5] A sports management major who had a 3.35 grade point average as of December 2007, she was named University Division Academic All-American of the Year in women's basketball for 2008 by the College Sports Information Directors of America.[6]
On April 8, 2008, Parker led the Lady Vols to their second straight NCAA women's title, the eighth championship for Tennessee. She was also named the MVP for the second consecutive tournament, joining Cheryl Miller, Chamique Holdsclaw and Diana Taurasi as the only female players to have done so. She won the honor despite suffering a dislocated shoulder during her team's regional finals win, but returned (wearing a white long-sleeve T-shirt under her jersey) and led the Lady Vols to the title. While at Tennessee, she complied a record of 101 wins and 10 losses.
[edit] WNBA
Just after the NCAA victory, Parker was selected as the first pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. She plays alongside Lisa Leslie and former Lady Vol teammate Sidney Spencer. Shannon Bobbitt (Parker's teammate at Tennessee) joined the Sparks after being drafted in the second round.[7]
On May 17, 2008, in her debut game against the Phoenix Mercury, she recorded 34 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists. Her 34 points broke the record for a rookie in a debut game. The record was previously held by Cynthia Cooper, who scored 25 points in her debut game in 1997.[8]
On June 22, 2008, she became the third woman in WNBA history-after her teammate Lisa Leslie-to dunk during a regulation WNBA game against the Indiana Fever and Michelle Snow in the 2006 WNBA All-Star game. The dunk was on the same basket as the dunk of her teammate.[9]
Parker was named the Hanns-G 'Go Beyond' Rookie of the Month for the month of May 2008.[10] She received the same honor for July 2008.
On October 3, 2008, she was named the Hanns-G 'Go Beyond' Rookie of the Year as well as Most Valuable Player for the 2008 WNBA season. She became the first WNBA player to win both the Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Player in the same season.[11] In addition, she also joined Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld as the only professional American basketball players to win both ROY and MVP trophies in the same season.
Candace Parker has missed the 2009 WNBA season so far after having her baby girl Lailaa, but on June 30 Candace returned to practice with her teamates for the first time.[12]. She played her first game back from maternity leave on july 5, 2009.
[edit] Personal life
On November 13, 2008, Candace Parker married her fiancee, Shelden Williams, who was a college basketball star for Duke University, played for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA and is currently an unrestricted free agent.
The couple welcomed a baby girl named Lailaa Nicole Williams on Wednesday 13th of May 2009 weighing 7 pounds, 6 ounces and was 20 inches long, and was born at 11:29 a.m.
She is represented by agent Aaron Goodwin and has endorsement deals with McDonalds, Gatorade and Adidas.[citation needed]
In the first verse of "Starter" on the Wu-Tang Clan's 8 Diagrams album, Streetlife raps about his admiration for Parker, who can "take flight like Skywalker." He mentions many of her accolades like her 4.0 GPA as a student-athlete and her "McDonald's classic no-look dunk through the basket."[citation needed]
The 6’4 and 175 lbs Candace Parker grew up in Chicago adoring the Bulls and was a huge Michael Jordan fan, whom she is frequently compared to. But her all time favorite player is Ron Harper whom she has a picture with hanging in her bedroom. She has two dogs. One is a St. Bernard mix named Fendi and the other one is a pug named Nino, who is named after a character in the movie “New Jack City.” Parker’s favorite movies are “Love and Basketball” and “He Got Game.” She also likes to listen to Disney sound tracks such as the “Little Mermaid” and watch “Full House” and the “Cosby Show.” [13]
Parker was named Academic All-American 2007-2008 by the ESPN the magazine because of her ability to balance schoolwork and sports and be successful in both of them. She had a 3.55 GPA when she won this award. [14]
[edit] Records
- 1st WNBA player to win WNBA MVP and WNBA Rookie of the Year Award in the same season.
- 1st WNBA player to dunk in consecutive games
- Most points scored (34) by a rookie in her debut.
[edit] Awards
[edit] High School
- All-Area Team (2001-2004: Chicago Sun Times, News-Gazette and Chicago Tribune)[15]
- All-State Team (2001-2004: AP, Chicago Sun Times, News-Gazette and Chicago Tribune, IBCA)[15]
- Gatorade Illinois State Player of the Year (2002-2004)[15]
- Illinois Miss Basketball (2002-2004)[15]
- Illinois State Player of the Year (2002-2004: Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times, Daily Herald, Naperville Sun and News-Gazette)[15]
- First Team All-American (2002-2004: Nike, 2000-2004: Parade, Street & Smith's, USA Today, 2004: McDonald's)[15]
- Second Team All-American (2002: Parade, Student Sports)[15]
- Third Team All-American (2002: USA Today)[15]
- Fourth Team All-American (2002: Street & Smith's)[15]
- Naismith Prep Player of the Year (2003-2004)[15]
- USA Today High School Player of the Year (2003-2004)[15]
- 2004 Powerade Jam Fest Winner[15]
- Gatorade High School Player of the Year (2003-2004)[15]
- 2004 Women's Sports Foundation High School Athlete of the Year[15]
[edit] College
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[edit] WNBA
- 2008 Most Valuable Player Award winner[32]
- 2008 Rookie of the Year Award winner[32]
- 2008 AP Female Athlete of the Year[33]
- 2008 All-WNBA Team member
- 2008 WNBA All-Rookie Team member
[edit] WNBA career statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
[edit] Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Los Angeles | 33 | 33 | 33.6 | .523 | .423 | .733 | 9.5 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 18.5 |
| Career | 33 | 33 | 33.6 | .523 | .423 | .733 | 9.5 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 18.5 |
[edit] Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Los Angeles | 6 | 6 | 36.5 | .459 | .000 | .759 | 12.7 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 15.0 |
| Career | 6 | 6 | 36.5 | .459 | .000 | .759 | 12.7 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 15.0 |
[edit] References
- ^ "Parker has opportunity to declare for '07 WNBA draft". Sports Illustrated. 2007-03-22. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/ian_thomsen/03/21/parker.draft/index.html. Retrieved on 2007-03-28.
- ^ Gutierrez, Melody (2007-04-02). "College stars boost WNBA draft suspense". The Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on 2008-02-07. http://web.archive.org/web/20080207023940/http://www.sacbee.com/100/story/147890.html. Retrieved on 2007-04-04.
- ^ Offseason 2008-09: Overseas Roster
- ^ "2006-07 Lady Vols Roster". http://www.volnation.com/blog/tennessee-lady-vols-basketball-roster-2006/. Retrieved on 2008-11-11.
- ^ University of Tennessee Women's Athletic Department (2008-02-21). Parker to pursue Olympics and pro career. Press release. http://www.utladyvols.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/022108aaa.html. Retrieved on 2008-03-03.
- ^ a b College Sports Information Directors of America (2008-02-26). "Parker is Academic All-American of the Year". University of Tennessee Women's Athletic Department. http://www.utladyvols.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/022608aaa.html. Retrieved on 2008-03-03.
- ^ Jeré Longman, with The AP (2008-04-09). "Summitt wins again when it matters". iht.com. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/09/sports/ncaabasketball/09ncaa.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=&st=nyt. Retrieved on 2008-04-09.
- ^ Bagnato, Andrew (2008-05-17). "Parker scores 34, the most ever in a WNBA debut". Associated Press (Google). http://www.nbcolympics.com/basketball/news/newsid=131077.html. Retrieved on 2008-05-17.
- ^ Candace Parker gets WNBA's second dunk in Sparks' 77–63 victory - Los Angeles Times
- ^ "Parker Named Hanns-G Rookie of the Month". http://www.wnba.com/news/rookieofmonth_080603.html.
- ^ http://sports.espn.go.com/wnba/news/story?id=3623772
- ^ Parker Returns To Practice
- ^ Wojciechowski, Gene. Parker: First-rate game and a first-rate life. 5 December 2007. <http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=3141784>.
- ^ UT Reports. Candace Parker Academic All-America of Year. 27 February 2008. <http://tennessee.scout.com/2/732487.html>.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y ""Player Bio - Candace Parker"". http://www.utladyvols.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/parker_candace00.html. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
- ^ "CANDACE PARKER NAMED SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK". http://www.utladyvols.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/021207aaa.html. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
- ^ a b "2007 SEC Women's Basketball Awards Announced". http://secsports.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=4&url_article_id=8449&url_subchannel_id=&change_well_id=2. Retrieved on 2007-02-28.
- ^ "Parker, Tennessee thrash Ole Miss to reach Final Four". http://www.sportsline.com/ncaawbasketball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAW_20070327_MS@TN. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
- ^ "Paris, Latta head All-America squad". http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/basketball/ncaa/03/28/womens.allamericans.ap/. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
- ^ "Candace Parker named Kodak All-American". http://www.utladyvols.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/033107aaa.html. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.[dead link]
- ^ "Candace Parker named John R. Wooden All-American". http://www.volunteertv.com/sports/headlines/6779967.html. Retrieved on 2007-04-04.
- ^ "All CP3 All The Time". http://slog.cstv.com/shesonfire/2007/03/all_cp3_all_the_time.html. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
- ^ "Parker named to USBWA Player of the Year". http://www.utladyvols.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/033107aab.html. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
- ^ a b c "CANDACE PARKER NAMED 2006-07 HONDA AWARD WINNER". http://www.utladyvols.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/041607aab.html.
- ^ "Candace Parker named AP Player of the Year". AP. 2008-05-04. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gzN_IWKDxsD_glnxSuGWX7L6E5LQD8VRPOA80. Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
- ^ "Candace Parker named Naismith Player of the Year". ESPN. 2008-07-04. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/news/story?id=3334239. Retrieved on 2008-07-04.
- ^ "Parker wins second straight John Wooden Award". http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=56654&provider=rss. Retrieved on 2008-04-12.
- ^ "Basketball Star Candace Parker Awarded 2008 Honda-Broderick Cup". Business Wire. 2008-06-23. http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080623006209&newsLang=en. Retrieved on 2008-06-23.
- ^ utladyvols.com
- ^ BET Awards 2008 Winners. Press release. http://www.bet.com/specials/betawards08/betawards-nominees/beta-winners.
- ^ a b "Parker wins two ESPY Awards; Summitt named top coach". http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jul/16/parker-wins-two-espy-awards-summit-named-top-coach/.
- ^ a b Sparks' Parker wins rookie of year, MVP honors. Press release. http://sports.espn.go.com/wnba/news/story?id=3623772.
- ^ Parker Named AP Female Athlete of the Year December 23, 2008
[edit] See Also
[edit] External links
- Candace Parker Profile VIBE
- Candace Parker Playerfile at WNBA.com
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Lorena Ochoa |
Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year 2008 |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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