Welcome to the Evolving Folks Project’s “Evolved Woman of the Week” profile. Each week, we will highlight an individual who embodies what it means to be an evolved person, famous and non-famous alike. The world needs to know their stories and deeds. This week’s honor goes to one of the most accomplished WNBA players in history and current NBA and WNBA analyst Candace Parker.
Drafted first overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008, she’s renowned as one of the WNBA’s best ever. Parker has won championships with three WNBA teams. They spent 13 seasons with the Sparks, two with the Chicago Sky, and one with the Las Vegas Aces.
Parker’s versatility was evident in her play at both forward and center. Parker won two Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year awards in high school. Her college career at Tennessee included leading her team to two national championships (2007 and 2008), two Final Four Most Outstanding Player awards, and two national Player of the Year awards. She achieved a historic first, becoming the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game and the first to dunk twice in a college game during her rookie year. Post-WNBA draft, Parker inked lucrative, long-term endorsement agreements with Adidas and Gatorade.
In the history of the WNBA, Parker is one of just three players to win the MVP and Rookie of the Year awards in the same year, a distinction she shares with Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson. Winning WNBA championships with three different franchises is a feat achieved only by Parker, even with her 2023 season cut short by injury with the Aces. Parker revolutionized the forward position by playing like a guard.
The former NBA player Shelden Williams married Parker in 2008. In 2009, they welcomed their daughter, Lailaa Nicole Williams, into the world. 2016 was the year they got divorced. She became engaged to Anna Petrakova, a Russian professional basketball player, in 2019. Their son, Airr Larry Petrakova Parker, was born in 2021. They got married in 2022.
Parker is an outspoken advocate for gender equality in sports and LGBTQ+ rights. Parker supports Black Lives Matter and other social justice initiatives. The May 7, 2007, issue of People magazine featured Parker among its 100 Most Beautiful People. In her own words, Candace Parker shares her thoughts on her lasting impact.
“That’s what I’m going to do with women’s basketball. I will continue to be a visionary for what’s next and what lies ahead. How can we make a bigger jump? How can we make a bigger push?”
Today, we honor Candace Parker as our Evolved Woman of the Week.
Evolving Folks Project 