WNBA legend Candace Parker, who’s still the only player in league history to win MVP and Rookie of the Year, is sounding off on a bevy of topics, and let’s just say the former Tennessee Volunteers legend wants her flowers.
Parker, who achieved her double in 2008, also won three WNBA titles. Known for her two-way ability, she also won the DPOY award in 2020. That’s just some of the accolades she accrued throughout her remarkable career.
Parker played 16 WNBA seasons, retiring in April just prior to the start of the 2024 season. Parker’s retirement coincided with the arrival of 2024 No. 1 overall Caitlin Clark, who also won Rookie of the Year honors this past season.
The former Iowa star’s star power also played a role in some changes around the league, one being chartered flights, something Parker never had during her playing career. During a recent appearance on “The Deal” with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly, Parker sounded like the angry old head.
Parker Admits She’s Jealous Of Upgraded Luxuries In Today’s WNBA
“I’m pissed that they started doing chartered flights the year I retired, I’m not gonna lie,” Parker said. “All of us feel a responsibility and a part of the growth that’s happening right now. I mean, the league was hard for so many years, and that’s what I said when I retired: ‘I hope that it’s not too hard for the next [generation].’ Not so difficult.”
“More so, I’m mad because I’m thinking of how much better I could have been if I had an offseason, if I didn’t have to go overseas, and I could have put weight on, and I could have bulked up in the weight room,” Parker continued. “But I also look at the doors that are opening now, and where the sport is. … I work with a lot of angry old heads. I don’t want to be the angry old head.”
“So I’m not gonna be, you know, Shaq coming in, like ‘Oh, man up!’ I’m not gonna be that. I’m gonna be the person where I’m happy where it’s at,” she concluded.
From the sound of it, Parker is happy the league is growing leaps and bounds, but at the same time she just wishes it would’ve happened during her playing days. She even took a subtle jab at good friend and TNT colleague Shaquille O’Neal.
Clark Has Always Given Legends Their Flowers
While many credit Clark with the league’s rise, the Indiana Fever star is quick to credit those who came before her. In fact, the night prior to the WNBA draft, Clark had this to say about some of the players who helped pave the way for her and others.
“Thanks to all the great players like Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, Cynthia Cooper, the great Dawn Staley, and my basketball hero, Maya Moore. These are the women that kicked down the door so I could walk inside. So I want to thank them tonight for laying the foundation.”
In the end it’s a timing thing, and it’s as simple as Parker crawled so Clark and others could walk.
