What’s for a former two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player to do in retirement? Becoming a president, of course.
No, this 16-year league superstar is not becoming President of the United States just yet — that will be decided in November. However, for the future of women’s basketball, the appointment may prove nearly as important.
Candace Parker, a three-time WNBA champion, has been named as Adidas’ new president of women’s basketball. The appointment came just a week after Parker retired after being one of the league’s biggest attractions for more than a decade-and-a-half.
The honor also comes 14 years after Adidas debuted the ACE Commander shoe, making Parker the first woman to have a signature footwear product with the company.
WNBA Legend Seeks to be More Than a “Mascot”
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Upon her appointment, Parker told Fast Company magazine:
“I said to [Adidas], ‘I don’t want to be a mascot. I really want to be in the meetings, and I want to be a part of making decisions.”
Echoing Parker’s sentiments, Adidas basketball global general manager Eric Wise proclaimed in a statement:
“In her new role as President, Parker will collaborate with the brand to create a powerful platform aimed at influencing and elevating the future of women’s sports. The WNBA legend will leverage her deep understanding of the game and the needs of female athletes to define a clear and impactful direction, with a focus on access, increased representation, and breaking down barriers on a global scale.”
Parker announced her retirement on April 28, just as WNBA teams were commencing training camp. While she had been featuring as an in-studio analyst for TNT NBA coverage, the retirement took many by surprise.
Parker Left WNBA Feeling She Was No Longer at Her Peak
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Parker told Fast Company that in spite of recently re-signing with the Las Vegas Aces — with whom she claimed her third WNBA title last season — she decided upon retirement. She was sidelined near the end of last campaign due to a foot injury and ultimately felt she was no longer able to play at the top of her game.
Overall, it was a phenomenal WNBA career for Parker. She was the No. 1 overall pick of the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008 out of Tennessee. In 13 seasons with the Sparks, she won two WNBA MVP awards, including in her rookie season. She also won her first WNBA title with the Sparks in 2016.
Parker left Hollywood for the Windy City in 2021, signing with the Chicago Sky. She led the Sky to the team’s first WNBA championship that season. In 2022, she earned her seventh and final All-Star Game appearance and finished fifth in the MVP voting.
She signed with the Aces prior to the 2023 season, but was held to just 18 games with the team due to the foot injury. Her 9.0 points-per-game average was the lowest of her career, and the only time in 16 WNBA seasons that she did not average double digits in scoring.
For Parker’s career, she finished third all-time with 3,467 rebounds, fifth with 619 blocks, seventh with 1,634 assists and ninth with 6,574 points. She averaged 16.0 points per game in 410 total WNBA contests.
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Tom Carothers is a sportswriter with more than 20 years of experience covering sports at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Still longing for the return of his Minnesota North Stars, he has a high pain tolerance as a big fan of the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Browns, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Tom is the WNBA Content Manager for Total Apex Sports. He is also well versed in covering MLB, NFL, NHL, as well as MLS and EPL.
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