Latest news with #WNBAFinalsMVP
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
WNBA legend Candace Parker's legacy soars high as the Chicago Sky decides to retire her jersey and raise it to the rafters
Candace Parker. Image byCandace Parker's WNBA career arc is one for the books, as she played for and led teams like the Chicago Sky, the Los Angeles Sparks, and the Las Vegas Aces to championship titles. Honoring her legacy, on Wednesday, May 28, the Chicago Sky decided to retire her jersey and raise it to the rafters on August 25, 2025. The date has been fixed ahead of their match against the Las Vegas Aces, with whom Parker played the final match of her career. Candace Parker despite a short tenure of 2 years with the Chicago Sky led the team to its glorious championship victory in 2021 On April 28, 2024, Candace Parker, after spending the final days of her career with Las Vegas Aces and winning the championship trophy in 2023, announced her retirement via a post on Instagram. Despite the short tenure with the Chicago Sky and the Aces, Parker left a rather lasting impression. The Sky will be facing the Aces on August 25 at the Wintrust Arena, and on the same day, as an honor to the legendary player, the Sky will be raising Parker's jersey number 3 to the rafters alongside the team's 2021 championship banner. On an emotional note, Parker, via a press release statement by the team, stated, 'Growing up in Naperville, playing on courts around here with my brothers, and watching Chicago teams like the Bulls, who became synonymous with winning, I never imagined one day my jersey would hang in the rafters of my hometown team. Coming home to Chicago and helping bring the city its first WNBA championship here—it was personal. I'm beyond grateful to the city, the fans, and everyone who's been part of my journey. Chicago raised me, and this will always be home. The announcement stirred some major throwback moments for the fans of the athlete, who have adored her legacy and performance in the court throughout her career. One of the fans wrote, 'Still remember seeing Parker dunk' Another one wrote, 'Well-deserved honor for Candace Parker, Sky legend forever' 'Congratulations @Candace_Parker well deserved' Also read: Oklahoma City Thunder are about to deliver Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a whole bank, says NBA veteran Parker's number 3 jersey of the Los Angeles Sparks will also be retired this season on June 29 during the team's match against the Sky. During her tenure with the Sparks, the player secured multiple honors like WNBA Finals MVP, WNBA MVP, WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, and five-time WNBA All-Star. Even though her tenure with the Sky was just for two years, her effective game play garnered accolades for the team. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA Legend Tamika Catchings Makes Major Personal Announcement
WNBA legend Tamika Catchings is one of the most accomplished women's basketball players of all time. After entering the league as the Indiana Fever's No. 3 overall pick in the 2001 WNBA draft, Catchings went on to notch Rookie of the Year honors, 10 WNBA All-Star selections, a WNBA MVP trophy (2011), a WNBA championship title and a WNBA Finals MVP. The former National Player of the Year also notched four Olympic gold medals with Team USA. Advertisement Catchings, 45, just added another outstanding accomplishment to her resume. On Tuesday, the retired women's basketball icon announced the completion of her Executive MBA degree from Notre Dame University. "Life lately… Thankful for the journey and the amazing people I got to do life with the last 18 months! Memories of a lifetime and another dream fulfilled! #LetTheJourneyContinue #Friendship #Lifetime #DreamsDoComeTrue #EMBA #ClassOf2025 @NotreDame @NDBusiness," Catchings wrote on X. Catchings' work ethic clearly hasn't slowed since her retirement from basketball in 2016. In a recent interview, Fever head coach Stephanie White compared Caitlin Clark's elite work ethic to Catching's. Advertisement "I don't want to put words in Caitlin Clark's mouth, but when you have somebody who works like she works on a daily basis, that is a perfectionist, that does things on such an elite level, they want to be the best," White said. "I compare her work ethic to the only other player who I've seen that works like this is Tamika Catchings, who is the all-time greatest. One of the all-time greats." Catchings will no doubt be tuned in for the Fever's regular-season opener against the Chicago Sky on May 17. Related: Rebecca Lobo Reacts to Groundbreaking Caitlin Clark Announcement
New York Times
05-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Sue Bird, Maya Moore headline 2025 Hall of Fame class
Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles capped off their illustrious careers by being named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's 2025 class at the men's Final Four in San Antonio on Saturday. The 2025 class also includes coach Billy Donovan, longtime NBA referee Danny Crawford and Miami Heat owner Micky Arison, along with the 2008 'Redeem Team' Olympic team. Advertisement Bird enters the Hall after retiring from a 21-year career with the Seattle Storm, whom she helped win four WNBA titles. Bird also led the U.S. Women's Olympic team in earning five gold medals. Moore won four WNBA championships with the Minnesota Lynx and was the league's 2014 Most Valuable Player; Fowles was also a two-time champion with the Lynx over 15 seasons and a two-time WNBA Finals MVP. On the coaching side, Donovan won two national championships at Florida and is the current longtime coach of the Chicago Bulls. Crawford officiated more than 2,000 NBA games over 32 seasons, including 30 finals games. Jeff Twiss, the Boston Celtics' longtime public relations executive, received the John R. Bunn Award, the Hall's single-highest award short of enshrinement in the Hall itself. He's been with the franchise for more than 40 years and is been regarded as one of the great professionals on his side of the player-media divide. There had been recent online scuttlebutt regarding Anthony's Hall of Fame credentials because he had never won an NBA title. (He never appeared in an NBA Finals, let alone won a ring.) But let's be real here: Anthony entering the Hall of Fame on his first try shouldn't surprise anyone who paid attention. In 2003, he was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player before leading Syracuse to its only men's NCAA title. Selected third in the legendary 2003 NBA Draft, Anthony used one of the silkiest shooting strokes to accumulate 28,289 points, 10th on the NBA career scoring list. He's also a four-time Olympic medalist in men's basketball, three of them gold in 2008, 2012 and 2016. The list of players who have scored 28,000-plus points and won an NCAA title, an NBA scoring title (28.7 points per game in 2013) and three Olympic gold medals is a party of one: Anthony. Advertisement In a 'ringz' culture, it would be easy to cite the lack of an NBA championship ('I'm at peace,' Anthony told Sports Illustrated in 2023) on Anthony's 19-year career résumé or a major individual award (one top-three MVP finish in 2013) as a reason to downplay his Hall credentials. Still, the 10-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA player built a storied career few, if any, can match. — Rob Peterson, NBA deputy managing editor Like Anthony, there have been questions about Howard's Hall of Fame worthiness as people point to his late-career journey. He played for six teams in seven seasons (including the Los Angeles Lakers twice, winning a title with them in the 2020 bubble) and put up pedestrian numbers (11.1 points per game, 10.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 433 games). He was even waived twice, once by Brooklyn in 2018 and once by Memphis in 2019, without playing a game for either franchise. But Howard built his résumé for Springfield, Mass., early in his career. The Orlando Magic tabbed Howard with the No. 1 pick in 2004, and he made an immediate impact for the franchise. He played in 567 of 574 games in his first seven seasons, led the Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals and won Defensive Player of the Year in three consecutive seasons from 2009 to 2011. Starting with the 2007-08 season, he led the NBA in rebounds five of six seasons, was named First Team All-NBA for five straight seasons and was top-five in MVP voting for four consecutive seasons. Howard also led the NBA in blocks in 2009 and 2010. His three DPOY awards place him second behind Dikembe Mutombo, Ben Wallace and Rudy Gobert, who each have four. Wallace and Mutombo are in the Hall of Fame; Gobert is still in the NBA. Howard's 14,627 rebounds put him 10th on the NBA's career list, and his 2,228 blocks place him 13th all time. Add in eight All-Star selections, eight All-NBA teams and a 2008 Olympic gold medal during his 18-year career, it's easy to see why Howard is headed for the Hall. — Peterson Advertisement Between the Dream Team's debut in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics through the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, USA Basketball's men's team was a dominant force in international basketball, winning three Olympic gold medals and the 1994 FIBA World Championship. That dominance ended in 2002 with a sixth-place finish at the FIBA World Championships, the first time NBA professionals lost in an international competition. (NBA players were locked out in 1998, and weren't allowed to participate in the FIBA World Championships that year.) At the 2004 Athens games, the men's team was filled with talent — Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Anthony and Dwyane Wade — and finished with a bronze medal. With that third-place finish, USA Basketball was determined to get back to gold medal status and began to require multi-year commitments from players to build a better organizational culture. With James, Anthony and Wade committing through the 2006 FIBA World Championships and the 2008 Beijing Olympics, that trio saw the U.S. finish third in 2006. In 2008, with those three cornerstones, Team USA added Chris Bosh and, most importantly, Kobe Bryant in their quest to recapture Olympic gold. Nicknamed 'The Redeem Team,' Bryant provided a razor-sharp competitive edge to a group of young players who needed it. The team, also featuring future Hall of Famers Jason Kidd and Dwight Howard, won its five pool play games by an average of 32.2 points. In the medal rounds, they crushed Australia by 30 and Argentina by 20 in the semifinals before defeating Spain 118-107 in what is considered by some as one of the greatest basketball games ever played. The Redeem Team is the third US men's Olympic team enshrined in Springfield, with the 1960 gold medal team featuring Oscar Robertson and Jerry West, and the Dream Team. — Peterson
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lady Vols great Candace Parker will have Los Angeles Sparks No. 3 jersey retired
Lady Vols basketball great Candace Parker will have her jersey hanging from the rafters of another arena. The Los Angeles Sparks announced Thursday the organization is retiring Parker's No. 3 jersey at Arena on June 29 at halftime of the Sparks' matchup with the Chicago Sky. Parker is the third player in team history to have her jersey retired, joining an elite club of Lisa Leslie and Penny Toler. Parker, a two-time WNBA MVP, announced her retirement last April after 16 seasons in the league. She retired as a three-time WNBA champion and is still the only player in league history to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. Parker played the first 13 seasons of her career in Los Angeles. Advertisement "To see my jersey hanging in the rafters amongst other legends is truly an honor. This moment is not just about me — it's about my family, my teammates, and the incredible support from the LA Sparks organization and fans," Parker said in a team release. "I'm grateful to my parents, who believed in me every step of the way, to my brothers who still are my heroes and to my wife and kids, who inspire me every day. The Staples Center (now Arena) raised Lailaa and this was her playground growing up. "Holding the record for assists reminds me that basketball is never just about individual success — it's about elevating others and being a part of something bigger than yourself. This jersey represents all the moments, all the connections, and all the love that got me here." There will be a jersey retirement ceremony at the game on June 29, including an on-court tribute at halftime with appearances from former teammates, coaches, and special guests. Former Lady Vols Rickea Jackson, Rae Burrell and Mercedes Russell are on roster for the Sparks. Parker's No. 3 jersey has been retired at Tennessee since 2014. She's arguably the best player to ever suit up for the Lady Vols, leading them to back-to-back NCAA championships in 2007 and 2008. Parker was the Final Four Most Outstanding Player both years and won the Wade Trophy in 2007. Advertisement Parker led Los Angeles to its third WNBA championship in 2016, which is the last time it has won a WNBA title. She was WNBA Finals MVP that season, and she also won WNBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2020. Parker was named to All-WNBA teams 10 times in her career, seven of them on first team, and she was a seven-time WNBA All-Star selection. She averaged 16.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 337 regular season games for the Sparks, and she still holds the franchise's all-time assists record (1,331). "Candace Parker has left an indelible mark on the Los Angeles Sparks," Sparks co-owner Earvin "Magic" Johnson said in the release. "Candace is the best all-around player that has ever played in the WNBA. Her legacy is immeasurable — she redefined excellence, was a champion on the court and for the Los Angeles community and inspired countless fans and future generations of athletes. LADY VOLS: What Kim Caldwell's film session revealed about Lady Vols ahead of Sweet 16 game vs Texas Advertisement "Very few champions get to see their jersey hanging from the rafters in this city. Retiring Candace's No. 3 jersey is not just a celebration of her extraordinary career, but a tribute to the enduring mark she's left on this organization, the WNBA, and the city of Los Angeles. She will forever be a part of the Sparks family." Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women's athletics. Email her at and follow her on X @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora's coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Los Angeles Sparks will retire Lady Vols great Candace Parker's jersey
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sparks to retire star Candace Parker's jersey at Crypto.com Arena
Former Sparks star Candace Parker's No. 3 jersey will be retired during a game against the Chicago Sky on June 29. (Leon Bennett / Getty Images) The Sparks are retiring franchise star Candace Parker's No. 3 jersey at Arena during halftime of a game against the Chicago Sky on June 29, the team announced Thursday. The forward won three WNBA championships, including the Sparks' third title in 2016. During her 13-year Sparks tenure, Parker was named WNBA MVP (2008, 2013), WNBA Finals MVP (2016) and WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2020). She earned All-Star honors five times. Advertisement "To see my jersey hanging in the rafters amongst other legends is truly an honor. This moment is not just about me — it's about my family, my teammates, and the incredible support from the L.A. Sparks organization and fans,' Parker said in a news release. 'I'm grateful to my parents, who believed in me every step of the way, to my brothers, who still are my heroes, and to my wife and kids, who inspire me every day.' Parker will become the third Sparks player to have her jersey retired, joining Lisa Leslie (No. 9) and Penny Toler (No. 11). Read more: Plaschke: Candace Parker might be leaving, but she will forever be a Spark She holds the Sparks' career assists record (1,331), ranking second in rebounds and third in points. Advertisement 'Her unparalleled skill, relentless drive, and leadership elevated the Sparks to new heights and set a new standard of greatness,' Sparks co-owner Magic Johnson said in a news release. 'Candace is the best all-around player that has ever played in the WNBA. Her legacy is immeasurable — she redefined excellence, was a champion on the court and for the Los Angeles community and inspired countless fans and future generations of athletes. "Very few champions get to see their jersey hanging from the rafters in this city. Retiring Candace's No. 3 jersey is not just a celebration of her extraordinary career, but a tribute to the enduring mark she's left on this organization, the WNBA, and the city of Los Angeles. She will forever be a part of the Sparks family." Parker played for the Sparks from 2008-20, averaging 16.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists during 337 regular season games. Sparks players, including Candace Parker, celebrate with a trophy after defeating the Minnesota Lynx to win the WNBA championship on Oct. 20, 2016. (Jim Mone / Associated Press) The jersey retirement ceremony appears to mend a relationship that had become strained during Parker's career. Former coach Derek Fisher benched Parker during a 2019 playoff elimination game, limiting the star to 11 minutes during the season-ending loss. The next season was shortened by COVID and the Sparks were again eliminated early in the playoffs. Parker chose to leave in the offseason, signing with the Chicago Sky. She grew up near Chicago and led the Sky to the 2021 WNBA title during her first season with the team. Advertisement Parker joined the Las Vegas Aces in 2023, playing half of the team's championship season before fracturing her foot. She announced her retirement in April 2024. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
