RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Candace Parker has received her Basketball Hall of Fame ring and had a fitting reaction to the latest honour of her remarkable career.
As she slipped the ring onto her finger, the three-time WNBA champion smiled and said: ‘This is so nice… Oh my gosh. Okay, I got it on this one. I’m married to the game. Let’s go. Married to the game.’
Parker is among the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2026 inductees and arrived in Springfield for the formal celebrations taking place across August 14 and 15.
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Candace Parker adds another Hall of Fame honour to historic career
Parker received her Hall of Fame ring and signature orange jacket on August 14, with the formal induction following the next day.
The moment was made even more special by the presence of her three children, Lailaa, Airr Larry and Hartt Summitt. Her eldest daughter also helped put Parker’s Hall of Fame jacket on her during the ceremony.
It has been quite a year for Parker.
The former Tennessee star was also inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame on June 27, alongside Elena Delle Donne, Amaya Valdemoro, Isabelle Fijalkowski, Cheryl Reeve, Kim Muhl, Doris Burke and Barbara Kennedy-Dixon.
Parker’s latest honour adds another chapter to a career that began when she was selected No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008.
She immediately made history, becoming the only WNBA player to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. Parker later won another MVP and claimed Finals MVP while leading the Sparks to the 2016 championship.
Her success continued with the Chicago Sky in 2021 and Las Vegas Aces in 2023, making her the only player to win WNBA championships with three different teams.
Parker also won Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, underlining the all-round game that made her such a unique player.
Her journey started at Tennessee, where she won two national championships and two College Player of the Year awards. She also represented the United States at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, winning gold on both occasions.
Now, two years after retiring, Parker has added another major honour to her collection.
Her ‘married to the game’ celebration says plenty about what basketball has meant to her, even after nearly two decades at the highest level.
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