Two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker has agreed to join the Chicago Sky, ESPN reports. Parker, who’s also a five-time All-Star and the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year with the Los Angeles Sparks, immediately makes the Sky one of the top contenders for the upcoming WNBA season.
The Sparks had reportedly tried to retain Parker, who spent her first 13 seasons with the team after being drafted No. 1 overall in 2008, but she’s opted to return to her hometown to try to bring the Sky their first championship.
The Next first reported that the Sky were in talks with Parker on Tuesday, which the Sun-Times confirmed.
Even at 34 years old, Parker remains one of the dominant forces in women’s basketball. She didn’t miss a game last season while averaging 14.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. The only player to win MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season, she’s also a nine-time All-WNBA Team member and won WNBA Finals MVP in 2016.
Parker’s addition should solidify the Sky as one of the big teams to watch next season. The team also boasted an impressive core led by Allie Quigley, Courtney Vandersloot, Azura Stevens, Cheyenne Parker and Diamond DeShields. Adding Parker to that lineup should give coach James Wade a ton of options.
