WNBA basketball star Candace Parker is calling it quits with the Chicago Sky. On Saturday, the St. Louis native announced that she would be leaving the team and sign with the Las Vegas Aces as an unrestricted free agent.
Part of her decision, she said, was to be closer to her wife and children who live on the West Coast.
“I need to be there for my daughter, for my son, for my wife,” Parker shared on Instagram. “I can’t be without them for parts of the season when Lailaa is in school and I won’t miss her volleyball games or school dances simply because of distance. Lailaa starts high school in August and I need to be there for her, just as she’s been there for me,” adding that “after evaluating the landscape together with my family, we’ve decided the Las Vegas Aces are the right organization for us at this point in our lives.”
The two-time WNBA title winner further shared that she is will always be grateful to Chicago, where she spent a majority of her career.
“I’m forever appreciative of everyone in Chicago – our fans, teammates, coaches, and ownership,” she wrote. “But more than the past two seasons, I’m thankful to the city that raised me, the childhood friends I still have to this day, the teachers I still am learning from, and the moments in time that will forever be in my heart.”
Parker is entering her 16th season in the WNBA, where she averages 13.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. In 2021, she helped Sky clinch the championship and steered the team to a semifinals appearance in 2022 before losing to the Connecticut Sun. Now as an Aces player, she will work towards winning a third ring.
The Aces were in the news recently after former player Dearica Hamby said the team’s leadership was “unprofessional” and “unethical.” Hours after making the announcement, she was traded to the Sparks.
“The WNBA Players Association has announced that it will be investigating the Aces for their treatment of Hamby,” according to CBS Sports.
