Candace Parker won both Rookie of the Year and MVP in 2008 and never slowed down. Multiple MVPs, championships, and All-WNBA selections later, she had become a bona fide legend. But by the time she joined the 2023 Las Vegas Aces, her role was much smaller.
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Parker had recently undergone surgery on her injured foot and missed the team’s entire playoff run. The good news was that the Aces thrived under A’ja Wilson and won Parker her third WNBA championship. The bad news was that, although she embraced her supporting role, it still felt strange not being on the court.
This formed the basis of Parker’s recent conversation on All The Smoke. The now 39-year-old superstar recalled the mindset she was in during that difficult period and how she had to convince herself that it was okay to help the team in other ways.
“It’s okay to be honest with yourself, where it’s like, ‘It’s not fun for basketball if I don’t have the ball in my hand. And if I’m not operating from this position because I’ve done that for so long.’ Do other players wanna extend to play basketball and play another role? Yes, that’s great for them. I don’t know if I can do that and not make everybody miserable around me,” Parker began.
It was tough for a player as dominant as Parker to be unable to participate in the game that had given her so much glory. But life is never easy, especially for athletes. Still, her acceptance of reality allowed her to simply be present and witness Wilson rise to greatness.
“I’m better over here outside the lines. I’m better like, ‘Hey let’s add this. Let’s do this.’ Encouragement. That type of thing, because that was the shift. That was the a’ha moment where I was like, ‘A’ja getting busy. She’s MVP. She’s got years to come. I want to help her grow in that way and be a support system.”
Parker admitted that her final ring feels like it has an asterisk on it since she did not play a single minute. However, she also shared that she learned just as much from A’ja and the Aces’ triumph as she did from her first two WNBA titles with the Sparks.
“So sitting on the sideline watching the 2023 championship, I was super happy because of the great people that I was a part of it with, but it’s always an asterisk,” she said somberly. “It really is. I know people are going to question that championship because I was not on the court for that, but I think it taught me just as much as the other two championships. It taught me, ‘I’m okay in this life. I’m okay with what I have done.'”
That is what makes Parker’s story so special. She never stopped evolving, even when the game began asking different things of her. She was not the star on the floor in 2023, but she still found a way to lead, uplift, and add to a legacy that was already beyond secure.
That mix of honesty, humility, and competitive fire is exactly why she resonated with so many players and fans over the years. And if anything, her final chapter proved that greatness is not only about the minutes you play, but about the impact you leave behind.
