The city of Chicago holds a close place in Candace Parker’s heart. The former WNBA superstar was raised in the western suburb of Naperville and has a strong connection to the Windy City. This week, Parker got to return to the city to experience one of Chicago’s age-old traditions: attending a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field.
With the Cincinnati Reds visiting Wrigleyville on Sunday, May 1, Parker was called in to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. It also gave the former Chicago Sky forward a chance to take her family out to the ballpark and enjoy a special day at the historic stadium.
Candace Parker Shares Collection of Pics and Videos From Memorable Outing at Wrigley Field
Parker may have brought some luck with her for the Cubbies this weekend. Chicago continued their red-hot start to the season with a 7-3 win over the Reds on Sunday.
Following the game, Parker shared some snaps and clips of the memorable occasion with her Instagram followers.
The 39-year-old could be seen posing for pics with her family on a glorious summer day in Chicago. She shared a video of herself walking out to deliver the first pitch, an outstanding throw that flew right over the plate.
There was also a clip of her singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” to the 40,179 fans in attendance during the seventh-inning stretch.
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Parker was grateful to be able to pass on the Cubs tradition to the next generations. She added the following message to go along with her Instagram post:
“Brainwashing my kids one first pitch and “take me out to the ball game” at a time! Idc how many times I come back to Wrigley I still get the same goosebumps, energy and butterflies. Summertime Chi is SPECIAL! What an amazing way to kick off the book tour…. At HOME! Chi town til I die…. Naperville is where I learned to read, but Chi town is where I learned that championships ARE the standard!!!”
During her peak, Parker was considered one of the WNBA’s most dangerous threats. The talented power forward played 16 seasons with three different organizations. She went on to win three championships and two WNBA MVP crowns along the way.
Overall, she played in 410 games and racked up an incredible 6574 points over her career.
Parker may have officially retired from the league in 2024, but the versatile star is keeping busy. Aside from a blossoming broadcasting career, Parker is also releasing her book titled “The Can-Do Mindset” on June 3.
