Candace Parker was considered a prodigy long before she turned professional. As such, the Los Angeles Sparks picked her first in the 2008 WNBA draft. Proving the hype, Parker won the WNBA Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in her debut season.
Parker announced her retirement last year, leaving a legacy that many believe makes her one of the greatest WNBA players ever. However, it was not all sunshine and rainbows for the three-time WNBA champion. Soon after her debut season, Parker became pregnant, which many thought would negatively impact her career.
Candace Parker Opens Up About Sparks Return After Giving Birth
Parker recently appeared on “All Facts No Brakes with Keyshawn Johnson” with fellow basketball legend Cheryl Miller, the sister of Pacers legend Reggie Miller. Since the NBA doesn’t have maternity leaves, Johnson wanted to know more about how Parker navigated pregnancy and her WNBA career.
“You know what’s so crazy, is I remember, when I found out I was pregnant, immediately I shifted to, like, well, when am I gonna come back?” Parker said. Since she was coming off a historic debut season, she didn’t know how to navigate it. Moreover, she also knows how detractors would see this affecting her career.
“As soon as I found out when I was due, I immediately circled when I wanted to come back. And so there wasn’t maternity leave. There wasn’t paid maternity leave. The league was, there was none of that. And, so, you know, fortunate enough, we were OK. But it was more so about getting back to the game,” Parker added.
The 39-year-old recalled playing just 53 days after giving birth to her daughter, Lailaa Nicole Williams (born 2009). She thinks the decision didn’t look good in hindsight, particularly because of the cost she had to endure.
“We were sharing rooms in the WNBA, so I had to buy out my half of the room so my mom could come and stay with my daughter. I was nursing, you know, before the game, at halftime. I was buying my mom’s ticket to get to the games with us on the commercial flight. Yeah, so, all that that came with it,” Parker said.
One motivating factor that influenced her decision to play was Lisa Leslie, a fellow legend. Leslie had already announced that the 2009 season would be her last, and Parker wanted to play together. Still, she was wary of how people would react to her decision.
Despite the pregnancy causing her trouble, Parker pointed out that her daughter has always been a shining light. She mentioned that her daughter gave her an identity beyond basketball, which had always come first to her until then.
“My daughter and I, we grew up together. Yeah, absolutely. And I’m super grateful that she was a part of my career, because I don’t know what I would have done, honestly. Like, she kept me grounded. She kept me humble. She was that reminder that it was bigger than basketball,” Parker added.
Lailah is Parker’s daughter with her former husband, Shelden Williams. They had married in 2008 before divorcing in 2016. Parker later married her former teammate, Anna Petrakova, in 2009. Parker has two sons with Petrakova, Airr Larry (born 2022) and Hartt Summitt (born 2024).
