Candace Parker is a famous American basketball player. Born in 1986 in Missouri, she is currently playing for the Los Angeles Sparks of WNBA. Her elder brother, Anthony Parker, also used to play in the NBA and he retired in 2012. She mainly plays in the forward position, but is extremely versatile and can also play in other positions as well. She wrote her name in the record books when she became the first woman to perform a dunk in the NCAA. Her biography - how she made her way into the WNBA and created a name for herself is nothing short of a miracle.
Candace spent most of her childhood in Illinois. Her family members used to love basketball and had an influence on Candace, hence she started playing basketball at a very young age. However, since her father and brother also used to play basketball, she wasn’t sure if she could live up to their reputation. Hence, she started learning soccer instead of basketball. Finally, when she was studying in eighth grade, she agreed to play basketball after her parents’ requests. Candace often says that her father being her coach at the beginning of her career was the best thing that happened to her. Her father taught her so much at an early age, that sometimes she would completely dominate games. Also, his father was very strict about coaching. She went to parks to train with her father. If her father thought that Candace wasn’t training properly, he would just drive back home, leaving her alone to run back all the way to home.
Both Candace and Anthony used to study in Naperville Central High School, where she won several awards due to her amazing performance.
She was picked up by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008 during the WNBA draft. She made her debut against Phoenix Mercury, where she broke the record for a maximum point score in a debut. She won two awards that year - Rookie of the Year along with the Most Valuable Player. Her performance dropped during the next 3 years due to several injuries and also owing to the birth of her daughter. But she returned in 2012, and played brilliantly till 2014. She missed a few matches in 2015, yet she performed extremely well in the remaining season, winning a position in the 2015 All WNBA Second Team.
Parker once reported that though the players in WNBA usually have a salary ranging from 36,570 to $103,500, they make much more than that by playing for other teams during off season. In fact, she herself plays for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia.
Parker was asked to join the training camp of USA Basketball Women's National Team in 2009. She was a part of the team when they competed in the UMMC Ekaterinburg International Invitational in 2009. She was also a part of the 2012 team which participated in the Olympics in London and won a gold medal.
Candace married Shelden Williams in 2008. Her husband also used to play basketball in high school and has also played in the NBA in the past. Candace gave birth to a child in 2009, who was named Lailaa Nicole Williams.
As of 2015, she has an estimated net worth of $2 million.
| Birth Date: | 19 Apr, 1986 |
| Age: | 34 yrs |
| Occupations: | Basketball player Actor |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | St. Louis |
| residence: | Naperville Los Angeles |
| Education: | Naperville Central High School University of Tennessee |
| Gender: | Female |
| Description: | Basketball player |
| Twitter Id: | Candace_Parker |
| Spouse: | Shelden Williams [M. 2008] |
| Net Worth 2021: | 5 million |
