Naperville Native Candace Parker Inducted Into Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame

NAPERVILLE, IL — Naperville native and retired WNBA star Candace Parker was recently inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Parker was among eight athletes inducted, including Elena Delle Donne, the 1996 USA Women's Basketball National Team, Mark Few and Doc Rivers.

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When Parker started her WNBA career in 2008 with the Los Angeles Sparks, she earned the unprecedented honor of being named both the season's MVP snd its Rookie of the Year.

She played with the Sparks until 2020, winning the WNBA Championship in 2016.

Parker began her tenure with Chicago Sky in 2021, leading the team to a championship win in 2021. She left the Sky for the Las Vegas Aces in 2023 and announced her retirement in 2024.

During her Parker's Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech, Parker shared how she fell in love with basketball at age 13. Fighting back tears with a basketball in hand, Parker said, "Whether the beginning at 13 or at 40, it was never about anything else. We were meant to be. A love story that began 27 years ago."