Candace Parker

USA Basketball Notes

Honors: 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball All-Tournament Team, 2006 Opals World Challenge All-Tournament Team.
Gold Medals: 2012 Olympics, 2009 UMMC Ekaterinburg International Invitational, 2008 Olympics, 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball Tournament, 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, 2006 Opals World Challenge, 2004 Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament (U18).
Bronze Medal: 2006 FIBA World Championship.
Named as a finalist for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Women's Basketball Team on Jan. 25, 2016.
Played on a pair of USA junior teams in 2003 and 2004 before being called up to the USA National Team for the April 2006 Opals World Challenge. Since then, she has helped the USA earn a pair of Olympic gold medals, the 2006 FIBA World Championship bronze and 2007 FIBA Americas Championship gold medal while tallying a 29-1 record; also helped the USA roll up a 21-1 exhibition slate during her time on the national team.
Competed for the USA National Team during its 2015 European Tour. Averaged a team-high of 12.3 ppg. and a team-high 9.0 rpg. in helping the USA to a 4-0 record.
At the 2012 Olympics, ranked fourth among all competitors in the 12-team field for rebounds (7.8 rpg.) and posted team-highs of 21 points and 11 rebuonds in the gold medal victory over France.
Owns the U.S. Olympic single-game record for blocked shots with four against Angola in 2012, and her 10 blocked shots during the 2012 Olympic Games ranks third among all-time U.S. Olympians for a single competition.
Currently ranks eighth all-time among U.S. Olympic career record holders for points (159), fifth for rebounds (98), second for blocked shots (14) and 10th for field goal percentage (.614) through two Olympiads.
Youngest member and only collegiate player on the 2006 USA World Championship Team; eclipsed three-time Olympian Katrina McClain's all-time USA World Championship record for blocked shots with 14 (was 11).
The youngest member and one of just three returning collegians named to the 2006 USA National Team that won the Australia-hosted 2006 Opals World Challenge; finished as the USA's leading scorer (18.0 ppg.).
Member of the 2004 USA Junior World Championship Qualifying Team (U18) that went 5-0 and captured the gold medal in Puerto Rico.
Member of the 2003 USA Youth Development Festival North Team that went 1-4 and finished in fourth place

Professional Notes

Drafted: No. 1 in 2008 by the Los Angeles Sparks.
WNBA MVP: 2008, 2013.
All-WNBA first team: 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014.
All-WNBA second team: 2009, 2015.
WNBA All-Defensive second team: 2012.
WNBA All-Star Game MVP: 2013.
WNBA All-Star Games: 2011 (injured), 2013, 2014.
WNBA Rookie of the Year & All-Rookie Team: 2008.
EuroLeague Title: 2013.
EuroLeage Final Eight MVP: 2013.
Sat out the first half of the 2015 WNBA season and averaged 19.4 ppg. and 10.1 rpg. upon her return to help the Sparks to the playoffs.
Averaged 19.4 ppg., 7.1 rpg., 4.3 apg. and 1.4 bpg. in leading Los Angeles to a 16-18 record and the 2014 Western Conference semifinals.
Competed six years (2009-10 to 2014-15) for UMMC Ekaterinburg (Russia), where she helped lead Ekat to six EuroLeague Final Four finishes and the 2013 EuroLeague championship.
In her eight seasons the Sparks advanced to the playoffs seven times and made it to the Western Conference Finals three times, compiling a 144-178 regular-season record.
Averaged 17.9 ppg. and 8.7 rpg. in leading the Sparks in 2013 to a 24-10 record and the WNBA playoffs.
Missed 15 games of the 2011 season after being sidelined by a right knee injury on June 26; played in 10 games in 2010 before dislocating her left shoulder on June 13 and was out for the remainder of the season.
Averaged a league-best 9.8 rpg. in 25 games after giving birth to her daughter on May 13, 2009.
Garnered all 45 votes for 2008 WNBA Rookie of the Year honors after leading the league in double-doubles (17).
Led all 2008 WNBA competitors in rebounds, ranked fourth in points and second in blocks.
Recorded the best rookie debut in WNBA history; posted 34 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
On May 29 against the Indiana Fever tallied the first "5x5" performance in league history with 16 points, 16 rebounds, six blocked shots, five assists and five steals.

College Notes

During her three-year collegiate career, led Tennessee to a 101-10 record (.910), two Southeastern Conference Tournament titles (2006, 2008), one SEC regular season crown (2007), three NCAA Tournaments, a pair of NCAA titles (2007, 2008) and the 2006 Elite Eight.
National Player of the Year (2008) including: Naismith Award, John R. Wooden Award, Sports Illustrated and ESPN.
Honda Award and USBWA Player of the Year (2007 2008).
Sports Illustrated, Associated Press and John R. Wooden All-America Team (2008).
Became the fourth player in NCAA Tournament history to be named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player twice (2007 and 2008), also was NCAA Regional MOP (2007, 2008).
CoSIDA Academic Athlete of the Year (2008).
The youngest woman ever to earn the Wade Trophy and John R. Wooden Player of the Year awards (2007).
SEC Player of the Year (2007), All-SEC first team (2006, 2007, 2008), SEC Tournament MVP (2006, 2008), SEC Rookie of the Year (2006).
Missed the 2004-05 season recovering from a pair of knee surgeries.

Personal Notes

Born on April 19, 1986, in St. Louis, Missouri, hails from Naperville, Illinois.
Married to former NBA player Shelden Williams, a 2005 USA World University Games Team gold medalist; gave birth to the couple’s first child, Lailaa, on May 13, 2009.
Daughter of Sara and Larry Parker, has two older brothers, Anthony and Marcus.
Brother Anthony, who played on the 1996 USA 22 And Under World Championship Qualifying Team that won a gold medal in Puerto Rico, is a nine-year NBA and six-year European pro league veteran.
Hopes to one day become a television broadcaster/announcer and lists ABC's Robin Roberts and media mogul Oprah Winfrey as celebrities she admires.
Attended Naperville Central High School (Ill.), where she was the Naismith, Gatorade and USA Today National Prep Player of the Year (2003 and 2004), a three-time Gatorade Illinois State Player of the Year (2002, 2003 and 2004).
Graduated in May 2008 with a major in sport management and a minor in psychology from UT.

Social Media

Twitter: @Candace_Parker
Instagram: @CandaceParker
Web: CandaceParker.com

USA Basketball Statistics
YEAR	G/S	FGM-FGA	PCT	3PM-3PA	PCT	FTM-FTA	PCT	REB/AVG	PTS/AVG	AST	BLK	STL
2012 OLY	8/3	38-75	.507	0-0	.---	8-14	.571	62/7.8	84/10.5	16	10	4
2012 OLYx	5/5	19-41	.463	0-0	.---	6-7	.857	34/6.8	44/8.8	7	4	7
2009 UMMC	1/ 1	3- 4	.750	0- 0	.---	2- 3	.667	3/ 3.0	8/ 8.0	1	0	0
2008 OLY	8/ 0	27- 44	.614	0- 1	.000	21- 31	.677	36/ 4.5	75/ 9.4	6	4	7
2008 OLYX	3/ 0	10- 16	.625	0- 0	.---	12- 13	.923	14/ 4.7	32/ 10.7	1	0	5
2007 TOA	5/ 5	29- 47	.617	0- 2	.000	11- 16	.688	20/ 4.0	69/ 13.8	4	4	12
2007 WNT	2/ 2	13- 24	.542	0- 0	.---	5- 6	.833	7/ 3.5	31/ 15.5	2	2	5
2006 WC	9/ 0	42- 72	.583	0- 0	.---	31- 47	.660	55/ 6.1	115/ 12.8	11	14	8
2006 WCX	1/ 0	0- 6	.---	0- 0	.---	1- 2	.500	5/ 5.0	1/ 1.0	0	3	0
2006 OWC	5/ 0	40- 58	.690	0- 0	.---	10- 20	.500	42/ 8.4	90/ 18.0	10	7	7
2004 JWCQ	5/ 5	34- 54	.630	1- 6	.167	14- 21	.667	44/ 8.8	83/ 16.6	24	12	17
2003 DF-N	4/ 4	19- 63	.302	1- 8	.125	24- 32	.750	43/ 10.8	63/ 15.8	8	9	4
Totals	56/25	274- 504	.544	2- 17	.118	145- 212	.684	365/ 6.5	695/ 12.4	90	69	76