Report: Candace Parker leaving Sparks to join Chicago Sky
3 years, 10 months ago

Report: Candace Parker leaving Sparks to join Chicago Sky

LA Times  

Candace Parker, the Sparks star and reigning WNBA defensive player of the year, has agreed to play with the Chicago Sky, according to reports from multiple media outlets, ending a 13-year career with the Sparks that started when Parker was the No. The 34-year-old forward was one of several free-agent priorities for the Sparks and head coach Derek Fisher, who added general manager responsibilities this year. Upon adding the general manager role in December, Fisher said he had “every intention of making every effort possible to re-sign Candace Parker and make sure she finishes her career in L.A.” Instead, Parker, an unrestricted free agent, will join Chicago point guard Courtney Vandersloot, who has led the league in assists for four straight years. The Sparks retain exclusive negotiating rights to Ogwumike, the team’s designated core player, while Gray is an unrestricted free agent.

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History of this topic

Former Sparks star Candace Parker announces her retirement
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Former Sparks star Candace Parker announces her retirement

LA Times  

Candace Parker, right, blocks a shot by New York’s Epiphanny Prince while playing for the Sparks in 2017. Three-time WNBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Candace Parker announced Sunday she’s retiring after 16 seasons. “My HEART & body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it.” Parker, 38, told the Associated Press in November she …

Nneka Ogwumike tells Sparks she is leaving. What’s left for the team?
11 months ago

Nneka Ogwumike tells Sparks she is leaving. What’s left for the team?

LA Times  

Nneka Ogwumike was the cornerstone of Curt Miller‘s rebuild of the Sparks, but the former most valuable player is planning her exit after one year under the new coach. Ogwumike, an unrestricted free agent, told the Sparks she intends to leave after 12 seasons with the franchise that drafted her first overall in 2012, a person not authorized to speak …

Candace Parker wants to play next season if she can get healthy
1 year, 1 month ago

Candace Parker wants to play next season if she can get healthy

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Candace Parker plans on playing another season if she’s healthy enough to do so. The two-time WNBA MVP missed the Las Vegas Aces’ run to a second straight league championship after having surgery on her left foot in late July. I don’t want to cheat the game or cheat myself.” Parker said that her left foot had …

Candace Parker opens up on playing career and personal life in new documentary
1 year, 1 month ago

Candace Parker opens up on playing career and personal life in new documentary

LA Times  

Candace Parker celebrates with her Chicago Sky teammates after winning the WNBA title in 2021. “He has been my North Star for sure,” Parker said during a break in last month’s espnW summit at the Ojai Valley Inn, where she was a featured speaker. I don’t think that there’s any one lane that I have to fit in.” Parker’s latest …

Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike selected for All-WNBA second team
1 year, 2 months ago

Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike selected for All-WNBA second team

LA Times  

Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike has been selected All-WNBA for the sixth time in her 12-year career. Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike has been selected Sunday for the All-WNBA team for the sixth time in her 12-year career. New York Liberty forward and season MVP Breanna Stewart, Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas and Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson are unanimous first-team …

Sparks stars Jordin Canada, Nneka Ogwumike selected to WNBA All-Defensive team
1 year, 3 months ago

Sparks stars Jordin Canada, Nneka Ogwumike selected to WNBA All-Defensive team

LA Times  

Sparks point guard Jordin Canada, who led the WNBA in steals, with 2.3 per game, and forward Nneka Ogwumike have been selected to the All-Defensive team, it was announced Friday. “Jordin is a relentless defender and was tasked with defending the opponent’s best perimeter guard each game, cementing herself as one of the premier guard defenders in the league,” Sparks …

Sparks’ Nneka Ogwumike selected WNBA All-Star starter for second consecutive season
1 year, 5 months ago

Sparks’ Nneka Ogwumike selected WNBA All-Star starter for second consecutive season

LA Times  

Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike, who is having one of her best seasons in the WNBA, has been selected to start in her second consecutive All-Star Game. Putting up numbers that rival her 2016 most valuable player season, Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike was selected to start in the WNBA All-Star Game for the second consecutive season Sunday. Defenses hound the 6-foot-2 …

WNBA draft: Sparks select South Carolina guard Zia Cooke at No. 10
1 year, 8 months ago

WNBA draft: Sparks select South Carolina guard Zia Cooke at No. 10

LA Times  

Zia Cooke, a guard from South Carolina, was selected 10th overall by the Sparks in the WNBA draft Monday night in New York. Bryant, the Sparks’ general manager, couldn’t help but gush to a family friend later about the South Carolina guard that blew her predraft interview out of the water. “Whatever organization has a chance to bring in Zia …

Twice WNBA MVP Parker signing with Las Vegas Aces
1 year, 10 months ago

Twice WNBA MVP Parker signing with Las Vegas Aces

The Hindu  

Twice WNBA MVP Candace Parker is signing with the Las Vegas Aces, the double Olympic champion said on social media on Saturday after two seasons with hometown team Chicago Sky. The move will see the veteran forward and seven-times Women’s National Basketball Association All-Star join forces with the reigning champion after leading the Los Angeles Sparks and the Sky to …

Former MVP Candace Parker to sign with champion Aces
1 year, 10 months ago

Former MVP Candace Parker to sign with champion Aces

Associated Press  

LAS VEGAS — Former two-time MVP Candace Parker announced on social media Saturday that she would sign with the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. Parker, a 6-foot-4 forward/center, adds to an already loaded lineup that includes reigning MVP A’ja Wilson, who also won the league’s top award in 2020. The Aces traded one of their key pieces, two-time Sixth Woman …

Former Sparks star Candace Parker signing with the Las Vegas Aces
1 year, 10 months ago

Former Sparks star Candace Parker signing with the Las Vegas Aces

LA Times  

Candace Parker controls the ball during a playoff game between the Chicago Sky and the Connecticut Sun on Aug. 28. Parker, who won a title win the Sparks in 2016, announced Saturday she will sign with the Las Vegas Aces. Former two-time MVP Candace Parker announced on social media Saturday that she would sign with the defending champion Las Vegas …

‘I’m just getting started’: Sparks’ Lexie Brown proves importance of WNBA role player
2 years, 5 months ago

‘I’m just getting started’: Sparks’ Lexie Brown proves importance of WNBA role player

LA Times  

The WNBA’s third-best three-point shooter watched the league’s annual three-point contest on a TV in Las Vegas, more than 1,700 miles away from the All-Star festivities in Chicago. “She’s been this shooter,” said Sykes, who recalled a game when Brown dropped 31 points on Sykes’ Syracuse team as a freshman at Maryland. I’m happy that everybody else in the world …

Candace Parker’s return to L.A. felt ‘bittersweet’ for former Sparks star
2 years, 6 months ago

Candace Parker’s return to L.A. felt ‘bittersweet’ for former Sparks star

LA Times  

Candace Parker took the second left instead of the first, sat in an unfamiliar locker room and warmed up on the opposite end of the court. Lailaa gets mad every time she turns on the game and sees someone sitting in her two courtside seats.” Lailaa, 13, and Parker’s newborn son Airr joined her on the court immediately after the …

Nneka Ogwumike is guiding force for Sparks but L.A. falls short against Sky
2 years, 6 months ago

Nneka Ogwumike is guiding force for Sparks but L.A. falls short against Sky

LA Times  

Sparks’ Nneka Ogwumike moves the ball during the game against the Chicago Sky on Thursday at Crypto.com Arena. She starred in a WNBA Sports Illustrated swimsuit spread this season and she led the Sparks with 18 points and 7.7 rebounds entering Thursday’s game. While Parker brought her hometown Sky its first WNBA championship, Ogwumike was left to carry the Sparks …

Sparks rally late behind Jordin Canada to win opener, beating WNBA champion Sky in OT
2 years, 7 months ago

Sparks rally late behind Jordin Canada to win opener, beating WNBA champion Sky in OT

LA Times  

Sparks center Liz Cambage takes a swipe at the ball while defending Sky forward Candace Parker during the first half Friday in Chicago. Jordin Canada had 21 points and eight assists in her Sparks debut, Nneka Ogwumike added 19 points and Los Angeles opened the season with a 98-91 overtime victory over the defending champion Chicago Sky on Friday night. …

Sparks trade for guard Lexie Brown from Chicago Sky
2 years, 8 months ago

Sparks trade for guard Lexie Brown from Chicago Sky

LA Times  

Lexie Brown celebrates the Sky’s 2021 WNBA Championship during a rally Oct. 19 in Chicago. The Sparks added another former top-10 draft pick Wednesday after trading for guard Lexie Brown from the Chicago Sky. The Sparks acquired Brown for the rights to Chinese center Li Yueru, who was included in the trade with the Atlanta Dream that brought guard Chennedy …

Sparks’ deeper, rebuilt roster boosts optimism for a championship run
2 years, 10 months ago

Sparks’ deeper, rebuilt roster boosts optimism for a championship run

LA Times  

Jordin Canada, who starred at L.A. Windward High and UCLA, joins the Sparks this season after winning two WNBA titles with the Seattle Storm. I knew that I wanted it to happen at some point in my career, I just didn’t know when.” Sports Sparks sign four-time WNBA All-Star Liz Cambage Free-agent center Liz Cambage signs with a Sparks team …

Sparks to open 2022 WNBA season vs. Candace Parker and champion Sky
3 years ago

Sparks to open 2022 WNBA season vs. Candace Parker and champion Sky

LA Times  

Chicago Sky’s Stefanie Dolson, left, and Candace Parker celebrate their 2021 WNBA Championship during a rally in October at Millennium Park in Chicago. The Sparks will open the 2022 WNBA season against the defending champion Chicago Sky and former L.A. star Candace Parker on May 6. The 5 p.m. PST game in Chicago is the second of four on opening …

Ex-Sparks star Candace Parker fires up hometown fans as Sky close in on WNBA title
3 years, 2 months ago

Ex-Sparks star Candace Parker fires up hometown fans as Sky close in on WNBA title

LA Times  

For 14 years, Candace Parker heard all about the WNBA’s growth. The Sky’s Candace Parker makes a move under pressure from the Mercury’s Brianna Turner during Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Wintrust Arena on Oct. 15 in Chicago, Illinois. “ a lot of hope,” said Oregon State freshman guard Greta Kampschroeder, who grew up in Parker’s hometown of …

WNBA: Washington Mystics outlast Chicago Sky in Overtime behind Tina Charles’ 34 points
3 years, 5 months ago

WNBA: Washington Mystics outlast Chicago Sky in Overtime behind Tina Charles’ 34 points

The Hindu  

Washington Mystics snaps a four-game losing streak with an 89-85 overtime victory against the host Chicago Sky on Saturday night. Charles, the leading scorer in the WNBA, registered her 17th career game of atleast 20 points against the Sky, who enters the league's Olympic break with two straight defeats. Atkins missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer from the wing, but the …

Two-time WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike re-signs with the Sparks
3 years, 9 months ago

Two-time WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike re-signs with the Sparks

LA Times  

Chiney Ogwumike, a two-time WNBA All-Star and former No. I’m really grateful to be a part of an organization that works with me to change the game on and off the court.” With Ogwumike set to return, the Sparks will shift their focus on signing her older sister, Nneka Ogwumike, who remains a free agent. With the Sparks having lost …

Column: Candace Parker might be leaving, but she will forever be a Spark
3 years, 10 months ago

Column: Candace Parker might be leaving, but she will forever be a Spark

LA Times  

Sparks forward Candace Parker looks to pass in front of Phoenix Mercury forward Brianna Turner at Staples Center on Aug. 8, 2019. Candace Parker is really leaving, with multiple media outlets reporting Wednesday that the 13-year Sparks cornerstone will leave the team as a free agent and sign with her hometown Chicago Sky. Sports Report: Candace Parker leaving Sparks to …

Sparks’ Candace Parker is named WNBA defensive player of the year
4 years, 3 months ago

Sparks’ Candace Parker is named WNBA defensive player of the year

LA Times  

This, too, is for Pat. Four years after dedicating her first WNBA championship to former Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, Sparks forward Candace Parker was reminded of her college coach again when she learned Wednesday that she would be named WNBA defensive player of the year. “‘Offense sells tickets, defense wins games, rebounding wins championships.’” Parker turned rebounding into a new …

Candace Parker revolutionized basketball, but she’s not done
4 years, 3 months ago

Candace Parker revolutionized basketball, but she’s not done

LA Times  

Sparks star Candace Parker is in her 13th WNBA season and looking for a second championship. “She’s still my role model to this day.” From initiating Parker into the league with brutal practice battles, former Sparks forward turned Old Dominion head coach DeLisha Milton-Jones is seeing glimpses of Parker’s legacy on the recruiting trail. Parker penned an essay in Time …

Sparks find success with Chelsea Gray leading veteran-loaded team
4 years, 4 months ago

Sparks find success with Chelsea Gray leading veteran-loaded team

LA Times  

Sparks guard Chelsea Gray brings the ball up the court against the Phoenix Mercury on July 25 in Bradenton, Fla. Chelsea Gray shadowed the veteran players when she joined the Sparks in 2016. “You don’t win a championship without a good point guard, a solid point guard,” Gray said. “It doesn’t mean they have to have all the stats, but …

Candace Parker, and daughter Lailaa, are more than ready for WNBA season
4 years, 5 months ago

Candace Parker, and daughter Lailaa, are more than ready for WNBA season

LA Times  

Two-time MVP Candace Parker will be entering her 13th WNBA season later this month when the Sparks open play. “Basketball has been something that I’ve always leaned on my entire career, my entire life, really, when things aren’t going well,” Parker said Tuesday from the WNBA’s bubble location in Bradenton, Fla. “I look to that for joy. “And I know …

Sparks’ Nneka Ogwumike proves most valuable off the court in challenging times
4 years, 5 months ago

Sparks’ Nneka Ogwumike proves most valuable off the court in challenging times

LA Times  

The Sparks’ Nneka Ogwumike, shown last season, has been getting ready for the pandemic-shortened WNBA season in Florida while also serving as players union president. In her role as players association president, Ogwumike helped lead conversations for the WNBA’s delayed season, ensuring players felt comfortable with the unprecedented circumstances and the league could meet any demands. “It’s been quite challenging, …

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