WNBA legend Candace Parker spoke to GQ Sports about a range of topics back in August 2021. A 3-time WNBA champion, Parker talked in detail about winning the 2008 MVP award, and how she found out she was pregnant at the end of her rookie year, back in 2008. Parker, the sister of former NBA star Anthony Parker, also spoke about the differences in which male and female basketball players are treated.
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She claimed that she was asked a number of uncomfortable questions just because of being a woman, the kind that was never asked to male players. “I found out I was pregnant at the end of my rookie season. I accepted the WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year trophies pregnant. My daughter and I have grown up together and that’s been my experience as a professional athlete. I was met with so much [disdain]. Thirteen years ago, a lot of people were like, “You’re going to have a child? Your career is over,” she said.
Parker went on to detail the number of ways in which her motherhood was treated differently to her brother becoming a father and went on to reference LeBron James. “I’m on the road and people ask me “Who’s watching Lailaa?” But they don’t ask LeBron [James] those questions,” she claimed.
Now 37, Parker played a starring role in Las Vegas Aces’ 2023 Championship run as well. She revealed that while the media reacted negatively when she announced her pregnancy, her daughter Lailaa actually taught her a lot about life. Parker claimed that she has many more reasons to get up and knows that she has a long way to go. both on the court and off it.
Candace Parker claimed Lailaa grew up “on the road”
It is clear that a large part of Candace Parker’s life revolves around her daughter. Recently talking to People, she claimed that Lailaa had effectively grown up on the road, which was not necessarily a problem for either of them.
“Her fun just happened to take place in an airport in Istanbul, Turkey or her crawling at an away game at Euro League. Or her trying potatoes for the first time in Spain. I think it’s been amazing because her playground has literally been the world,” she claimed, revealing that Lailaa effectively traveled wherever she did, during the initial years of her career.
Parker went on to talk about how she remembers that she only wanted to have fun during her age. As a mother, she has constantly tried to ensure that her daughter is able to do just that, regardless of where they find themselves.
