The two-time MVP with the Los Angeles Sparks is going home to Chicago.
As first reported by Nick Niendorf of The Next Hoops, Candace Parker was in talks with the Chicago Sky about her joining the team after spending 13 seasons with Los Angeles.
On Wednesday afternoon, ESPN reported that the WNBA superstar has committed to signing with Chicago. Parker cannot sign on the dotted line until after Monday when free agents can begin signing with teams. The terms of the deal have not been released.
It was not lost on the Sparks to convince Parker to stay in Los Angeles where she was drafted No. 1 overall in 2008. Parker has played just about 10,500 minutes throughout her tenure with the Sparks. Her time in Los Angeles may be up but Parker leaves behind an illustrious slate of accomplishments in two MVP awards, Rookie of the Year, 2016 Finals MVP, 2020 Defensive Player of the Year, and a championship.
Parker finished the 2020 WNBA season with a dominant defensive year while averaging 14.7 points with a 51 percentage in field goals, 9.7 rebounds, and 4.6 assists.
The Sparks had high hopes in keeping Parker, an unrestricted free agent, in purple and gold with intentions of not having her play for another team and her finishing her career in Los Angeles. It looks like that goal in free agency was not fulfilled with Parker heading east to her hometown of Chicago.
Parker is slated to join a Chicago Sky team that finished sixth in the eastern conference and lost to the Connecticut Sun in the first round single-elimination game. Chicago’s core group of players have developed into formidable players in the league. With the addition of Parker, their championship window and aspirations have definitely opened up.
The Sparks have some work to do with the other members of their “Big Three” with Nneka being cored and is reportedly set to sign a multi-year deal to stay in Los Angeles and the reports of Chelsea Gray possibly heading to Las Vegas.
