Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

WNBA Legend, Who’s Had 14 Surgeries, Makes Personal Admission

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Jul 10, 2025 10:55 AM ET

WNBA icon Candace Parker recently released her memoir, "The Can‑Do Mindset," in early June. In the book, the two-time league MVP shares her personal stories and life lessons with the objective of helping readers build resilience and pursue their passions.

Parker has been making the rounds to promote her book, and her latest stop was a guest appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Wednesday night.

One of the topics of conversation with guest host Anthony Anderson centered on the 14 surgeries Parker had undergone throughout her 16 seasons in the WNBA.

While Parker acknowledged how difficult it was to battle that type of adversity, she admitted that she's very proud of the fact that she was able to come out on top.

"I'm super grateful for the experience that I've had in learning who I was," Parker said. "In that process, I think definitely adversity builds character, but it reveals it as well. And so to be able to battle back for a game that I love so much, time and time again, get knocked over, get back up, I think it's a testament to the people that are around me, the doctors, the physical therapists, but also mentally.

"I'm proud of myself for navigating all of the injuries and things that came with playing the game."

Candace Parker talks about her 14 surgeries on Jimmy Kimmel Live pic.twitter.com/4TBIiQWVoc
— Paolo Songco (@PaoloSongcoNBA) July 10, 2025

A testament to Parker's legacy is that her No. 3 jersey was recently retired by the Los Angeles Sparks, meaning that, in her honor, no other Sparks player can wear the No. 3.

On August 25, the Chicago Sky will also retire her No. 3 jersey in what is expected to be another inspiring ceremony.

Not too many players out there get their jerseys retired by two different franchises, and it's even rarer that this happens within the span of a couple of months.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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