If we are indeed in the final years of the illustrious, future Hall of Fame career of Candace Parker, she can say that she will get to play those final seasons in her hometown of Chicago.
As of today, the Sky’s signing of Parker is the signature move made by a team this free agency period. A former WNBA champion and two-time WNBA MVP making the move to leave the Los Angeles Sparks after 13 seasons with LA’s team to have a chance to bring a WNBA title to the Windy City.
As expected, Parker as well as Sky coach and general manager James Wade took part in Parker’s introductory press conference. It even included some introductory remarks from Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot, who herself is a Sky season ticket holder. She was joined by her wife, Amy.
We have been following your career since we saw you in a tournament your senior year at Naperville Central.
–Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot
She particularly made mention of what she believes Parker’s arrival and return to Chicago will mean for young girls around the area who seek to become athletes themselves.
Our 12 year old daughter is beside herself with excitement and it’s going to mean a lot for girls all across the Chicago region both on and off the court. You know as well as anyone how the eyes of our girls light up when our basketball stars visit them in their communities. And it’s something I know will be happening a lot more now that you are in town.
–Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot
Sky co-owner Michael Alter then made remarks where he thanked Wade for making everything happen as the general manager and coach as well as other Chicago players for being part of the process that recruited Parker back home to Chicago. John Rogers, also a Sky co-owner also took part in the proceedings.
Point guards are particularly great leaders. They’re smart, they’re tough, they have vision. And Coach Wade had the vision to see that we could bring Candace here to Chicago and bring a world championship to Chicago.
–John Rogers, Sky co-owner
In Wade’s two seasons that he has been the Sky’s coach, he has seen his team get to within one win of a WNBA semifinals to an early-round exit from last year’s playoffs in the bubble. He felt getting Parker gives Chicago leadership and gives his players a high standard to measure itself up to.
What we needed for our team was a leader. And it was evident in the bubble, we needed someone that would be there for us through hard times … She’s the type of talent and the type of person where she has expectations.
–James Wade, Chicago Sky coach, general manager
Every year the team that she’s on, you automatically consider her team as a championship contender.
–James Wade, Chicago Sky coach, general manager
When Parker herself spoke, one of the things that she noticed about the area was how passionate it is about basketball.
I didn’t realize how amazing the Chicagoland area was with basketball in general – until I went out into the world and I saw how truly special and how they really embrace their homegrown talent. And so, when this opportunity came about to be able to come home and to play in front of my family and friends and to play for a fantastic organization like the Chicago Sky … it was a difficult decision but ultimately, I’m very excited and proud to be able to come home.
–Candace Parker, Chicago Sky
Parker gave her press conference from Atlanta where she was preparing to do analyst work for Turner Sports’ NBA coverage. When she made her opening remarks, she put things in the context of how a “little orange ball” has taken her all over the world and has allowed her to foster relationships throughout her life – from Knoxville to Los Angeles to Atlanta and back to Chicago.
I left Naperville at 18 years old and now I’m returning at 35. I’ll be 35 when I return. And the lessons I’ve learned being gone have brought me back home.
–Candace Parker, Chicago Sky
Parker said that the decision to return home was a decision that was not years in the making but was something she decided on within the last couple of weeks prior to the start of free agency. She also said that the atrocities brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic has really made it clear how important it is to be near loved ones.
She still regards LA as “home” as well, believing that she has the “best of both worlds” of being able to live in California during the winter and Chicago during the summer.
I reached out to a lot of different people during this process and just talked to them about the experiences that they’ve had going through free agency, maybe possibly leaving a place they’ve been for a long time or place where they won a championship.
–Candace Parker, Chicago Sky
After evaluating everything, she said she made a “pro and con” list and called the decision “bittersweet.” Part of going through that free agency process was with the understanding that she would only be one of two places – either in Chicago or back in Los Angeles to finish her career.
For 13 years, I feel as though I gave everything I had to the Sparks organization as well as they gave everything they had. And at this point in time, I feel as though contractually, I was an unrestricted free agent. I’m not leaving disgruntled, I’m not leaving throwing stuff or upset or angry or demanding a trade. I’m leaving because contractually I can go where I want and I can make that decision and I think player empowerment is something that is super important and talked about more. And I do believe that … the WNBA and the NBA kind of mimic each other. Whether my journey gives others the power to do what they want to do, I think it’s great.
–Candace Parker, Chicago Sky
She did emphasize that she felt that the bulk of her career has already been played. Parker mentioned the connections she has with plenty of the Sky’s players – including a senior year photo that she has with Allie Quigley, playing alongside Courtney Vandersloot in her USA Basketball days and the Tennessee connection she has with Diamond DeShields. Following her heart, she said was vital in arriving at her decision.
That heart, she says, has been one where she holds Chicago basketball near and dear everyplace she has gone – whether it has been overseas or within the realm of the WNBA.
Parker’s experience with free agency has been compared to Seimone Augustus’s experience prior to the 2020 season in the bubble. Augustus and Parker were rivals as the former’s Minnesota Lynx’s battled the latter’s Sparks in the 2016 and 2017 seasons that culminated in grueling 5-game series in the WNBA Finals. Augustus played her first season with the Sparks last year and Parker said that she did draw some inspiration from how free agency went for Augustus after being a long-timer with Minnesota.
On the NBA side of things, Parker said that she got advice from Dwayne Wade and Kevin Durant.
The biggest thing that I got from them was … you need to follow your heart. You need to follow what you want and what you desire and let all that other stuff take care of itself.
–Candace Parker, Chicago Sky
There was also talk of how the CBA inked prior to the 2020 season may have an impact on free agency going forward. Wade believes that the new CBA will only help the WNBA in terms of added media coverage that will result from it and in terms of a player empowerment standpoint as Parker mentioned earlier in the presser.
💙 on 💛 pic.twitter.com/CZjReAgyBM
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) February 3, 2021
As a fan of the City of Broad Shoulders’ teams, the return home carries added meaning for Parker. The Sky are now firmly atop the WNBA’s rankings along with the Las Vegas Aces and the last two champions in the Washington Mystics and the Seattle Storm. Winning a championship in Chicago would only solidify her status even more as one of the city’s greatest ever athletes.
Those that know me know I am a huge Chicago sports fan. I’ve even brainwashed my daughter into being a Chicago … fan. And so … for me personally I think playing here in itself holds so much value, but I would say also winning a championship, back home, would mean so much. And, honestly, this isn’t me…just coming home to play. This isn’t me just going somewhere. Chicago has great players. They have a great organization and I’ve played against them for a number of years and … the last couple under Coach Wade and I like what they’re doing and I like how they play.
–Candace Parker, Chicago Sky
She is aware that she is no longer the youngster she was coming out of Tennessee and that she is, indeed a seasoned veteran with a Hall of Fame resume. Maintaining that ability to still accomplish a lot in this game and still be a great player at her age requires attention to health and an ability to remain healthy, something Parker places plenty of emphasis on.
Another aspect of her game that she feels she is excited to put on display is how her years of experience in basketball allow her to utilize her vast basketball I.Q. to her and the Sky’s advantage.
Wade also believes the signing of Parker represents something new for the franchise – an indication that Chicago will be a hot destination that will draw in free agents, particularly as long as the product on the court is one that wins consistently.
We’ve traditionally been a team that it’s been hard to get free agents here. But we’ve done a really good job, I think, of being able to retain the free agents that we have – the good players that we have. And I think that was the first key in actually building something attractive.
–James Wade, Chicago Sky coach/general manager
As one advances in any career – especially sports, the idea of leaving a legacy becomes a more prominent thought in one’s consciousness. Parker, at this stage of her career, has to be thinking more of the legacy she will leave on sports as a whole. She mentioned that it has especially entered her mind given not only how we lost Kobe Bryant last year, but how it was not that long ago that we lost Pat Summitt.
When you start talking about legacy and what people are leaving behind and then we’re going to take that blueprint and share it with our kids or share it with our rookies or share it with our younger players. And so as a vet, to be able to impact … different players in the future and then they go on and pass that on, I think that’s special … Lisa Leslie, I talked to her the other day, Delisha Milton, we text all the time. Those are my vets and my rookie year was tough.
–Candace Parker, Chicago Sky
One younger player Parker particularly mentioned was Azura Stevens, who Parker described as a “younger version” of herself. Herself, though, does not expect to play as long as Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi as she hopes she will be able to walk away from the game one day in the near future with her health completely intact. As for now, Parker does believe that there is enough for her and the Sky to get the job done in winning a championship this season.
When she does get back to Chicago, Parker says she definitely has Portillo’s, a local well-known eatery, at or near the top of her list. She shouted out Giordano’s as well.
𝙄𝘾𝙔𝙈𝙄: Joined by the Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, team ownership, and GM & Head @coachjameswade, @candace_parker addressed media today for the first time since announcing her blockbuster multi-year deal.
Full Press Conference: https://t.co/4n9YmVfl9p pic.twitter.com/yaWwVPDD0E
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) February 3, 2021
Welcome home, @Candace_Parker!🍟 https://t.co/Rbrnwmd7D9
— Portillo’s (@portilloshotdog) February 2, 2021
Along with rediscovering area restaurants, she also hopes to reinsert herself firmly into Chicago’s community – particularly area youth. She says she has kept an eye on what other noteworthy Chicagoans, such as Chance the Rapper, have done to impact children in and around Chicago.
I definitely would like to do something centered around education. As a mom, I realize, especially within this last year, with what’s going on with Covid, and everything going on like that. Like our kids, it’s important for us to continue to push education, value education and not just focus on the kids that it reaches – go to the kids that maybe it doesn’t.
–Candace Parker, Chicago Sky
Going forward with a move such as this at this point in one’s career certainly gives a player of Parker’s stature the opportunity to reflect on what a career she has had. Because part of the reason Parker was in a position to be able to make such a move was because of the career she has had up to this point.
I think as athletes, we get so focused on the next game and … the next week and things like that. And we realize, we look up and 13 years later, like time has wings. I do believe in perfect storms and the right time and just reflecting, I am so grateful for the 13 years that I had in LA. The people, the relationships, the experiences, the memories. And so, I’ve had time in these last couple of days especially to really reflect and to really be appreciative of my time there.
–Candace Parker, Chicago Sky
Part of Wade’s strategy, he said was the allow the talent on his team to develop the confidence he believed was necessary for the Sky to believe it was a winning team. That has obviously happened by evidence of his Chicago teams the last couple of seasons. He believes that while they have developed into winners that he would like to see more consistency from his team and that Parker gives the Sky the missing ingredient to put the team over the top.
Snag your 2021 #skytown membership yet?
🎟: https://t.co/G2hFubtmbe pic.twitter.com/ZI5KS3rmoF
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) February 3, 2021
Wade did say that while Parker’s addition is huge to continue to go about things as if it was a day-to-day process.
Doing that, being a young coach, that will keep me from being too high or being too low and just going on a whim, but actually focusing on the process of building something and getting better every day. So, you won’t hear championship talk out of my voice. If that’s the expectation for us, that’ll be the expectation, but my goal is to make sure that we play championship basketball every day.
–James Wade, Chicago Sky coach/general manager
It is sometimes easy to get lost in all of the hype of a great player going to a city to forget that – Parker is still a great player going to a team that has evolved into a team that is teetering on the edge of being great. Parker is not only one of the best scorers in the W, but also one of the best defenders. She was last year’s Defensive Player of the Year, but surprisingly did not make the All-Defensive Team, meaning she is a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the floor.
Parker believes that adapting to how today’s style of play in the WNBA is important and also adapting her style to how the Sky run on both ends.
You can look at the different teams that have won in the past and the type of style that they play. And the type of style that they play, I think is what we’re trying to do – we’re trying to accomplish. Obviously, we’re going to put a little spin on it (ourselves), but at the same time, being able to play fast, being able to demand space in your shooting and your creation.
–Candace Parker, Chicago Sky
Parker remembers the (Dearica) Hamby Heave – the game-winning shot for the Las Vegas Aces in the 2019 WNBA playoffs second round that eliminated the Sky from the playoffs after being on the cusp of a semifinals berth. She feels as if she can relate to her new Chicago teammates because she says she has been in that position before and most of the Sky players from that team are still on the team today.
Sometimes, it’s also being able to relate. There’s so many times where my season has ended on a last-second shot and it just replays over and over and over in your mind. So, I think sometimes having a shared goal, a common goal, a common place of where you can relate, kind of brings people together.
–Candace Parker, Chicago Sky
As everyone knows, Chicago is one of the most sports-filled markets in the country with a team in every major sport – two in the case of Major League Baseball. While getting a player of Parker’s significance and homegrown background can be big not only for the sporting landscape of the city, but also for the purpose of possibly bringing in casual fans to follow and attend Sky games at Wintrust Arena, could the signing all of a sudden get lost in the shuffle with so much attention being drawn to the Second City’s other teams?
Parker believes that those that have yet to give the W a chance have yet to witness a game and admitted that hockey is not exactly high on her radar despite going to Staples Center (the Sparks home arena) to watch the Los Angeles Kings.
Parker believes that the WNBA took a major step last year with the message of social justice and racial equality that emanated from the bubble.
A lot of our ratings and things like that have gone up just from people giving it a chance and tuning in and getting to know us … from the orange hoodie, where we can thank Kobe for the orange hoodie, from the orange hoodie to social injustice to the bubble … our ratings are going up and it’s trending up.
–Candace Parker, Chicago Sky
Cubs or White Sox? It’s Cubs for Candace.
The WNBA is 25 years young, and with that comes growing pains. And people forget that the NBA was on tape delay in the early 90s and 80s. Their playoffs were on tape delay and nobody today would be able to believe that, but at the same time, it’s about constant growth, it’s about pushing forward and I think it’s taken steps.
–Candace Parker, Chicago Sky
Parker believes that the response that she has received from her new Sky teammates as well as the palpable buzz there has been throughout the area to the news of her arrival in Chicago has validated her decision. She did admit that after 13 years out on the west coast that it was somewhat daunting to make the move back to Chicago, but that one grows in those uncomfortable occasions.
Wade said that the process began with a contact between him and Parker’s agent, then Sky players reached out to express their interest in Parker joining the team. Ownership also got involved.
My main goal was to make sure that she was comfortable. I know that this is a hard decision for her, being the iconic player that she is. But also, what comes with that, you get identified with the jersey that you’re wearing.
–James Wade, Chicago Sky coach/general manager
Parker closed the virtual presser by talking about the social justice conversation that the WNBA has been at the forefront of leading – one that was on full display last season from the IMG bubble.
Fortunately, this summer has opened a lot of eyes to the need to continue to do work within this country. And I think that it is a process and I think we all realize that … to be a part of the WNBA, the WNBA has always been at the forefront of change and I say that saying that our league is 80% African-American, from different socio-economic backgrounds, LGBTQ community, different religions, you name it … we are the majority of the minority in this country. So within the WNBA, we understand our responsibility to give a voice to the voiceless.
–Candace Parker, Chicago Sky
She said she joined several NBA greats including Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony in an initiative called the Social Change Fund. Parker emphasized the importance of having young girls get involved with sports.
I think it’s important to understand that, yes, there are those that play professionally, but having an opportunity as a little girl to play sports, having an opportunity to be out there and be seen in a leadership role and to learn the type of life skills that you need to be able to be successful in life – I mean the boardroom is run like a locker room, is run like a sports team, and so I think it’s so important for us to continue to emphasize how important it is for young girls to play team sports so that little boys and little girls can both see women in different roles. And so, we’re seeing the benefits of an entire generation seeing women in those roles.
–Candace Parker, Chicago Sky
