'Still Surreal For Me': Candace Parker Still Floating In Cloud9 After Jersey Retirement Weeks After

She’s only the third player in franchise history to get that honor, and yeah, there’s something poetic about it being jersey No. 3. Still, even for someone as accomplished as Parker, it’s taking a while to sink in. She called the moment “surreal”—and honestly, who can blame her?

When the Sparks picked her first overall in the 2008 WNBA Draft, the hype was real. But Parker didn’t just meet expectations—she flipped the league on its head. In her debut season, she pulled off something unheard of: Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same year.

That was only the beginning. She won a second MVP in 2013 and then brought L.A. a long-overdue championship in 2016, snapping a 14-year title drought. The next season? Back in the Finals again.

Parker’s career stats speak for themselves. Across 337 games, she averaged 16.9 points, 8.6 boards, nearly four assists, plus solid defensive numbers with over a steal and a block per game.

She topped the league in blocks her first two years, led in rebounds in three separate seasons—including 2020—and even led in assists in 2015. That kind of versatility? Rare.

Nine All-WNBA selections, five All-Star nods, two All-Defensive team spots, and the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year award. She’s done it all.

Jersey retirement ceremony done the Candace Parker way

When it came time for the ceremony, Parker did things her way. Normally, she speaks off the cuff. But this time, she brought a few prepared words—and she made every one count.

“Normally I go off the cuff, off the dome, no pen like Jay-Z,” she said. “But today I decided to write a couple words. When I got drafted out here, it’s become home. I wanted to be out West… where there’s ginormous shoes to fill.”

And she got a little emotional too:

“I’ve lived here longer than anywhere else. It’s super important to see this jersey in the rafters before any others because my 13 years here were super special… I’m extremely humbled to have No. 3 up there amongst the greats. I do not take that for granted.”

And Parker’s not done getting flowers. Later this summer, the Chicago Sky will retire her jersey too—making her just the second player in WNBA history (after Lindsay Whalen) to have their number retired by two different teams.