Women’s basketball legend explains why her business role model is Jay-Z

CANDACE Parker has won two college basketball championships, three WNBA titles, two MVP awards and two Olympic gold medals.

The 37-year-old has also navigated multiple injuries, pregnancy, divorce, single motherhood and same-sex marriage to become one of the greatest women’s basketball players of all time.

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Candace Parker is one of the best women’s basketball players of all timeCredit: Getty

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The 37-year-old is also a mother of two, including baby son AirrCredit: Getty

Parker has won two Olympic gold medalsCredit: Getty

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Parker says rapper Jay-Z is her business role modelCredit: Instagram/candaceparker
The successes and setbacks of Parker’s Hall of Fame career are being explored in the new ESPN documentary ‘Candace Parker: Unapologetic’, which comes out on November 12.

With Parker’s WNBA journey coming to an end – she is mulling over playing one more season – it is an opportunity for the Las Vegas Aces star to look back on her career but also chart a future in business and broadcasting.

After an illustrious high school career, Parker won back-to-back college titles with Tennessee in 2007 and 2008 under legendary coach Pat Summitt.

As a sophomore, Parker became the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game.

In her first year as a pro, Parker won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, and was named league WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year playing for the Los Angeles Sparks.

Incredibly, she was in the early stages of pregnancy during this time and she gave birth to her daughter Lailaa in early 2009.

“My daughter was along for the journey,” Parker told Time.

Parker, who was married to NBA star Shelden Williams, raised Lailaa while playing in the United States, Russia, China and Turkey.

“Her crawling at an away game in EuroLeague. Her trying potatoes for the first time in Spain,” Parker recalls.

“Her playground was literally the world.”

It was in Russia where Parker met basketball star Anna Petrakova.

The two soon grew very close although neither imagined they would end up in a same-sex relationship.

“We literally denied it to ourselves for three years I think,” Petrakova said.

“Then we just finally accepted it. That was a long, hard process.”

After Parker divorced Williams in 2016, they decided to make the relationship more formal and quietly married in 2019.

In December 2021, Parker announced that the couple had not only been married for two years but were also expecting a child together.

‘Candace Parker: Unapologetic,’ follows the basketball icon throughout the 2022 season in Chicago when she welcomed her son Airr Larry Petrakov Parker.

“I was always against ‘coming out’ because I felt like in this society, in this day and age, you shouldn’t have to do that,” says Parker.

“Society had a way of putting this pressure on people to come out. And I don’t think it should be that way.”

As Parker’s private life evolved, she forged a Hall of Fame career at the Sparks, Chicago Sky and Aces, as well as in Europe.

Off the court, Parker has worked as a basketball analyst and commentator for Turner Sports since 2018, earning rave reviews for her insight and expertise.

She is also establishing herself as an entrepreneur with an ownership stake in women’s soccer club Angel City FC, a production company and a shoe deal with Adidas.

Parker’s role model in business is Jay-Z, the rapper turned business mogul.

“He has been my North Star for sure,” Parker told The Los Angeles Times.

“I admire his forethought in knocking down the misconceptions about what you have to be to be something.

“It’s similar to what women’s basketball players are thought of.

“I don’t think that there’s any one lane that I have to fit in.”

Parker, who has an estimated personal wealth of $5 million, hopes viewers of the documentary will see her as more than just a basketball player.

“The goal is to reach those that are kind of at a place in their life where they’re not sure where they need to be or where they need to go,” she said.

“My goal is to really talk about authenticity and how important it is to be that.

“It’s also talking about you’re an entire person, you’re not just an athlete.

“I’m so much more than that.”

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Parker has become a leading basketball analyst and commentatorCredit: Getty

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The entrepreneur is also an investor in women’s soccer team Angel City FCCredit: Getty