Top 5 Candace Parker Moments With The Sparks
Former superstar WNBA power forward/center Candace Parker's legend loomed so large in Los Angeles Sparks lore that the team still has not returned to the postseason since her departure for her hometown Chicago Sky in 2021 — with whom she instantly claimed her second of three league championships.
The seven-time All-Star big finally hung up her sneakers for good after an injury-plagued championship season in 2023 with the Las Vegas Aces. Earlier during the 2025 offseason, L.A. announced that it would enshrine Parker in the rafters forever by retiring her No. 3 jersey.
The 6-foot-4 Tennessee product spent 13 of her 16 seasons in Los Angeles, where she was named to five All-Star squads, nine All-WNBA Teams, two WNBA All-Defensive Second Teams, and the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year.
More Los Angeles Sparks: Sparks Retiring Candace Parker's Jersey — What We Know
Parker becomes just the third player in Sparks franchise history to have her jersey retired, behind three-time MVP center Lisa Leslie's No. 9 and point guard Penny Toler's No. 11.
Candace Parker is a:
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 28, 2025
• 2x WNBA MVP
• 7x WNBA All-Star
• WNBA Finals MVP
• 3x WNBA champion
• 7x All-WNBA First Team
• 2008 WNBA Rookie of the Year
Now, Parker will become the third player to have her jersey retired by the Los Angeles Sparks. pic.twitter.com/nTTYsAVfMO
In her 13 Sparks seasons, Parker averaged 16.9 points on .482/.337/.761 shooting splits, 8.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.3 steals a night. Alongside Nneka Ogwumike, she guided the club to two straight WNBA Finals appearances in 2016 and '17, winning in '16.
More Los Angeles Sparks: Sparks Forward Cameron Brink Unpacks How Kelsey Plum is Impacting Her Career
Here are the best moments of Parker's Sparks career.
5. Her 2013 WNBA All-Star Game Scoring Record
In the postseason or at All-Star games, Parker always managed to show out. In her prime, she had that unique knack to perform best when the lights were brightest.
Parker gave the Western Conference squad a WNBA All-Star Game-record 23 points, guiding the club to a 102-98 victory and earning the All-Star MVP to boot. It was the first All-Star contest Parker was actually able to play.
Parker had twice been voted an All-Star in previous seasons, but had missed her 2009 appearance while recuperating from the birth of her daughter, and had sat out her 2011 appearance due to an injured knee.
4. Her Second MVP Season in 2013
2013 was an absolutely charmed year for Parker.
Then 27, she earned her second league MVP honor. She averaged 17.9 points on 49.3 percent shooting from the field and 76.2 percent shooting from the foul line, 8.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.3 steals while pushing the club to a 24-10 record and the No. 2 seed in the West.
3. Her Rookie/First MVP Season in 2008
That said, the sky was the limit for Parker during her 2008 debut season.
She looked like she had the potential to be a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-level, one-of-one talent in that inaugural year. Although she was stunningly not named an All-Star, she was recognized as the league's MVP and Rookie of the Year, plus an All-WNBA First Teamer.
Parker also finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting that season. Not too shabby for a 22-year-old.
2008 Candace Parker:
— Heather Rose (@heatherrosegoes) April 8, 2023
• MVP
• ROY
• NPOY
• NCAA Champ
• Olympic Gold Medal
• W rebounding leader
And she did all this while playing through a dislocated left shoulder.pic.twitter.com/pB6svIIvbU
In 33 games for L.A., Parker averaged 18.5 points on .523/.423/.733 shooting splits, 9.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals a night.
Under then-head coach Michael Cooper (a Showtime-era Laker who had led the Leslie-era Sparks to two titles), Los Angeles went 20-14 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals.
2. Her 2017 WNBA Finals Run
Parker's apex, as far as Sparks fans are concerned, came in her performance during the team's consecutive Finals stints.
😮 @Candace_Parker's #WNBAFinals highlights!
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 7, 2017
The @LA_Sparks star's stats: 15.0 PTS, 9.4 REB, 4.2 AST, 2.6 STL & 2.0 BLK #WatchMeWork pic.twitter.com/yE02zzxQTT
In 2017, having vanquished the Minnesota Lynx the year before, the Sparks returned to the Finals in an effort to repeat.
Parker helped guide the Sparks to a 2-1 series lead, thanks to a superlative 13-point, seven-rebound, five-assists, five-steal, three-block run in a 75-64 victory. Los Angeles lost the next two games and botched its title defense, but Parker put forth a valiant effort.
In the series, she averaged 15.0 points, 9.4 boards, 4.2 dimes, 2.6 swipes and 2.0 rejections a night.
1. Her 2016 WNBA Finals Run
Parker was honored as the WNBA Finals MVP for her efforts in claiming her first title — and the Sparks' most recent championship.
Candace Parker in the 2016 WNBA Finals was unreal. @Candace_Parker @LA_Sparks
— WSLAM (@wslam) April 19, 2020
Salute 👑 (via @wnba) pic.twitter.com/ogvgkTgxb2
Closing out that best-of-five series with Minnesota in five games, Parker notched a 28-point, 12-rebound effort to close out the Lynx.
She averaged 17.2 points on 44.3 percent shooting from the floor and 68.4 percent shooting from the foul line, 7.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.2 steals and 2.0 blocks a night.
More Los Angeles Sparks:
The Top 5 All-Time Sparks Scorers
Ranking The Sparks' Three Championship Teams
Every Caitlin Clark Appearance vs Sparks in 2025 Season
For the latest Los Angeles Sparks news and notes, stay glued to Los Angeles Sparks On SI.
Currently also a scribe for Newsweek, Hoops Rumors, The Sporting News and "Gremlins" director Joe Dante's film site Trailers From Hell, Alex is an alum of Men's Journal, Grizzlies fan site Grizzly Bear Blues, and Bulls fan sites Blog-A-Bull and Pippen Ain't Easy, among others.