Candace Parker ‘humbled’ to have her No. 3 retired by Sparks: ‘I’m so appreciative and I can’t believe it’

No one will ever forget Candace Parker’s legendary run with the Los Angeles Sparks. And now, no one will ever wear her No. 3. Parker, one of the best players in Sparks and WNBA history, had her jersey retired on Sunday during a ceremony at halftime of the team’s game against the Chicago Sky. 

Parker joins Lisa Leslie and Penny Toler as the only players to have their jersey retired by the Sparks — one of the WNBA’s original franchises. Later this summer, Parker will also have her jersey retired by the Chicago Sky and join Lindsay Whalen as the only other player in league history to have her jersey retired by multiple franchises. 

Before her jersey was unveiled, Parker addressed the adoring crowd. Here are her comments in full:

“Normally I go off the cuff, off the dome, no pen like Jay-Z, but today I decided to write a couple words. As a kid from the Chicagoland, my idea of Hollywood was through basketball. It wasn’t the glitz or the glam or the red carpets. 

“It was like the 80s, Kareem and Magic, the Showtime Lakers. It was the early 2000s, back-to-back with Lisa Leslie, DeLisha Milton-Jones and Michael Cooper. It was the Kobe and Shaq era of the threepeat in the early 2000s. It was Love and Basketball, because who didn’t want to be Monica Wright? 

“L.A. was about ball, so in 2008 when the lottery was between Chicago and L.A., a kid from the Chicagoland, Midwest, I was a little partial. I wanted the balls to fall in L.A.’s court. I wanted to be out West. I wanted to be here with all the eyballs and the lights, where there’s ginormous shoes to fill. When I landed here, Michael Cooper said to me, ‘if you win here, you’re a champion forever.’ So there was one thing on my mind, and we got that. We got that championship. 

“Moments like these are so nostalgic. I remember being in the back with [Leslie] for her last game here at Staples [Center], and you looked at me and you told me, ‘hey, yo, it goes fast, enjoy it.’ I remember you back there in that tunnel telling me that. Now fast forward almost 20 years and we’re here. I think the thing that I’ve learned through all the ups and down, wins and losses, injuries, difficulties, highlights, records, it’s about enjoying the process, enjoying the journey. 

“I appreciate all of you for making it special. I appreciate the people that fuel my purpose and my passion. I’m extremely humbled to have No. 3 up there amongst the greats. I don’t take that for granted. I do not take that for granted at all. I say thank you for this celebration. It means the world to me. I’ve seen a bunch of familiar faces that helped me throughout this journey. I’m just grateful for my family, my friends, my teammates, my coaches, my oppponents, ownership, the entire Sparks organization, my Adidas fam, my Turner fam, doctors, physical therapists. Shoot, even the refs, I appreciate them as well. 

“The biggest thing is to always have a foundation in the little things. This jersey going up in the rafters is no different. They say athletes have two deaths, one being when your career ends. I look at it as two lives. It’s never easy to put the ball down and move on from your first love, but to simplify what I learned throughout my career here in L.A., through basketball, through it all, is what I’m gonna carry to the next phase of life: joy. 

“I choose to enjoy the big and the small moments. I’m grateful for those ping pong balls all the way back in 2008 putting me in the purple and gold. But I was wrong, L.A. isn’t just about ball. For me it’s now where we call home, and where we’ll forever call home. Thank you so much. I love you all. I’m so appreciative, and I can’t believe it. Thank you.” 

Parker became all-time WNBA great with Sparks

After a storied collegiate career at Tennessee, Parker was drafted No. 1 overall in 2008 by the Sparks and spent 13 seasons with the club. Parker found immediate success at the professional level. She was named Rookie of the Year and MVP in her first season, and remains the only player in league history to accomplish that feat. 

Parker won another MVP award in 2013, and led the Sparks to a championship in 2016 — ending a 14-year title drought for the proud franchise — and another Finals appearance in 2017. During her time in Los Angeles, Parker was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, finished in the top-five in MVP voting nine times, had nine All-WNBA selections and made five All-Star teams and two All-Defensive teams. 

In 337 games with the Sparks, Parker averaged 16.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.6 blocks. She led the league in blocks in 2008 and 2009, rebounding in 2008, 2009 and 2020 and assists in 2015. 

“Candace Parker’s impact on the WNBA is immeasurable,” commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a press release. “From the moment she stepped onto the court as a rookie, winning both MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season, she has continually redefined greatness. A three-time champion with three different teams, her career has been marked by excellence, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to winning.”

Following her time with the Sparks, Parker returned home to Chicago and joined the Sky. In her first season, she helped the organization win its first title in franchise history in 2021. Two years later, she moved back to the West Coast to sign with the Las Vegas Aces, and won a title with them in 2023 to become the first player ever to win a championship with three different teams. 

“Having her jersey retired in both Los Angeles and Chicago — two WNBA cities where she shaped the culture and identity of their teams — is a powerful and fitting tribute to all Candace has accomplished,” Englebert said. “On behalf of the WNBA, I want to thank Candace for being an extraordinary ambassador for the sport, and have admired her ability to balance her playing career, her family and her broadcast career. Her legacy will live on — in the rafters and in the hearts of fans everywhere.”

Parker was unable to play in the postseason in 2023 due to a foot injury, and while she signed a contract to return to the Aces in 2024, her recovery did not go as planned. She retired shortly before the 2024 season started. The Sky plan to retire Parker’s jersey on Aug. 25.