It appears Candace Parker is about to add one of the few accomplishments left to her basketball resume. Shams Charania of ESPN has reported that Candace Parker will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
She will join Amar’e Stoudemire, Elena Delle Donne and Doc Rivers as part of the 2026 Hall of Fame class.
Parker was one of the most dynamic players in the WNBA.
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She was drafted by the Sparks back in 2013 and immediately made history, becoming the first player to win MVP, Rookie of the Year and All-Star MVP in the same season. It’s unlikely any player ever accomplishes that trifecta as a rookie in the league ever again.
The rest of Parker’s basketball playing days included a bevy of accomplishments.
She won three WNBA titles, one with the Sparks back in 2016, another with the Chicago Sky in 2021 and her last with the Las Vegas Aces in 2023.
She also won the 2016 Finals MVP Award.
Parker was a WNBA All-Star seven times, named All-WNBA 10 times and was named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, her final season playing in Los Angeles.
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Parker was a Spark for 13 seasons, averaging 13.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.
Thanks to her dominance and her status as the face of the franchise throughout her tenure, Parker’s jersey was retired at Crypto.com Arena in 2025. Her jersey was also retired by the Chicago Sky that same year.
In international play, Parker also made an impact, winning two Gold Medals for Team USA in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.
As a big, Parker was known for elite post-play and defensive capabilities.
She led the league in blocks in 2009 and 2012. Parker also led the league in rebounds in 2008 and 2020 and was the WNBA assist leader in 2015.
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Parker was the second WNBA player ever to dunk, doing so as a Spark in a game against the Storm on Jun. 22, 2008.
Once she is inducted into the Hall of Fame, Parker will join Lisa Leslie as the only Sparks players to receive this honor.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
