Candace Parker Partner: Meet Anna Petrakova – Candace Parker, affectionately known as “Ace,” is a distinguished American professional basketball player currently affiliated with the Las Vegas Aces in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA).

Recognized as one of the WNBA’s greatest players, she was the top overall pick in the 2008 WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks and contributed to their success for 13 seasons before joining the Chicago Sky for two seasons, achieving championships with both teams.

Born on April 19, 1986, and known for her versatility, Parker primarily excels in the forward and center positions. In high school, she secured the prestigious 2003 and 2004 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year awards, becoming the second junior and sole woman to earn the honor twice.

Candace Parker Partner: Meet Anna Petrakova

Candace Parker entered marital bliss with Shelden Williams on November 13, 2008. Williams, known for his college basketball career at Duke University and his tenure in the NBA, was her partner in this union. However, after eight years of matrimony, the couple decided to part ways, with Williams initiating the divorce proceedings in November 2016, citing irreconcilable differences. In a new chapter of her personal life, Parker revealed on December 14, 2021, that she had exchanged vows with Anna Petrakova in 2019. This announcement marked a significant development in Parker’s journey, reflecting a new and meaningful relationship in her life.

As a collegiate athlete at Tennessee, Parker played a pivotal role in securing back-to-back national championships in 2007 and 2008, earning accolades as the Final Four’s most outstanding player on both occasions and clinching two-time consensus national player of the year honors. Notably, as a redshirt freshman, she became the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game and achieved the first-ever double dunk in a college game. Post-WNBA draft, Parker inked enduring endorsement deals with Adidas and Gatorade.

Candace Parker’s illustrious career includes leading the Sparks to their first WNBA Finals title in 2016, securing the WNBA Finals MVP Award. Additionally, she contributed to the Chicago Sky’s inaugural title victory in 2021. Parker boasts numerous accolades, such as two WNBA Most Valuable Player Awards (2008, 2013), a WNBA All-Star Game MVP Award (2013), two Olympic gold medals (2008, 2012), and the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award (2008). Remarkably, she was the first player to clinch both the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in a single season.

Beyond her on-court achievements, Parker has been a notable analyst and commentator for Turner Sports since 2018, covering NBA games on TNT and NBA TV, as well as the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

Parker’s international contributions include winning a gold medal with the USA Women’s U18 team at the FIBA Americas Championship in 2004 and earning gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics with Team USA. Despite her exclusion from the 2016 Summer Olympics, she continued to be a prominent figure in national team training, declining an invitation to the 2017–2020 camp in light of her previous omission from the Rio games.

In her overseas stints, Parker played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Russian League during WNBA off-seasons from 2010 to 2015, securing five consecutive championships. She also ventured into the Chinese and Turkish Leagues during subsequent off-seasons.

Transitioning to her broadcasting career, Candace Parker commenced her role as an NBA analyst and commentator for TNT in 2018, expanding her responsibilities to include NCAA Tournament coverage on CBS Sports with a multi-year extension in 2019.