Candace Parker Announces Retirement from WNBA

Los Angeles, August 26, 2025 - Three-time WNBA champion and two-time Finals MVP Candace Parker officially announced her retirement from professional basketball today via an emotional Instagram post, bringing an end to her storied 16-year career in the league.

In her announcement, Parker reflected on becoming the first player in WNBA history to win championships with three different teams-the Los Angeles Sparks (2016), Chicago Sky (2021), and Las Vegas Aces (2024)-and thanked the fans, teammates, and coaches who supported her journey. She wrote, “I promised I’d never cheat the game and that I’d leave it in a better place than I came into it. The competitor in me always wants one more, but it’s time. My heart and body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it.”

Selected first overall in the 2008 WNBA Draft, Parker made an immediate impact by capturing both Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in her debut season-the only player ever to achieve that feat in the same year. During her career, she earned seven All-Star selections, two Finals MVP awards (2008, 2013), and was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2020. Off the court, Parker won Olympic gold medals with Team USA in 2008 and 2012 and starred on back-to-back NCAA championship teams at Tennessee under coach Pat Summitt.

Looking ahead, Parker expressed her plans to transition into broadcasting, team ownership, and business ventures. “This is the beginning… I’m attacking business, private equity, ownership (I will own both an NBA & WNBA team), broadcasting, production, boardrooms, beach volleyball [and] dominoes with the same intensity & focus I did basketball,” she stated.

Candace Parker’s retirement marks the conclusion of one of the most versatile and influential careers in women’s basketball, leaving a legacy defined by her leadership, competitive spirit, and continued commitment to growing the game.