Candace Parker is officially a Hall of Famer. And during her induction speech, she found the perfect way to describe her remarkable basketball journey.
Parker joked that she had “changed teams” over the years literally and figuratively.
In 2021, Parker announced she had remarried, but to a woman.
Unless you were a close friend or family of Candace Parker, you probably didn’t know she had been married for two years to Anya Petrakova.
It might have been a surprise to you because Parker was previously married to Ex-NBA player Shelden Williams and they share a 12-year-old daughter Lailaa.
Today, Parker announced to the world she was married and that they were having a baby.
Anya Petrakova was a Russian professional basketball player, so I will assume they met when Parker was playing over in Russia.
But the biggest stars in the room were not necessarily the basketball legends.
They were Parker’s three children.
Her kids, Lailaa, Airr Larry and Hartt Summitt, were there to celebrate the huge moment with their mom. That made the occasion even more personal for Parker.
Then came an especially sweet moment.
Parker’s eldest daughter, Lailaa, helped put the Hall of Fame jacket on her mother during the ceremony.
I changed teams both literally and figuratively 🤣🤣🤣 – Candace Parker pic.twitter.com/2QfY2sCmwH
— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) August 16, 2026
That is the kind of moment that makes even the toughest basketball fans reach for a tissue.
The former Tennessee star was also inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame on June 27, alongside Elena Delle Donne, Amaya Valdemoro, Isabelle Fijalkowski, Cheryl Reeve, Kim Muhl, Doris Burke and Barbara Kennedy-Dixon.
Parker’s latest honour adds another chapter to a career that began when she was selected No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008.
She immediately made history, becoming the only WNBA player to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. Parker later won another MVP and claimed Finals MVP while leading the Sparks to the 2016 championship.
Parker’s career has been anything but ordinary.
Her success continued with the Chicago Sky in 2021 and Las Vegas Aces in 2023, making her the only player to win WNBA championships with three different teams.
Parker also won Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, underlining the all-round game that made her such a unique player.
Her journey started at Tennessee, where she won two national championships and two College Player of the Year awards. She also represented the United States at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, winning gold on both occasions.
The Hall of Fame ceremony was about celebrating all of that. But Parker’s children made it clear that the moment was about more than basketball.
After years of chasing championships and collecting accolades, Parker finally received one of the game’s biggest honors.
And she got to share it with the people who matter most. Congratulations, Candace Parker!
