Candace Parker

Position: Guard / Forward / Center
Height: 6'4' / 190 cms.
Weight: 172 lbs. / 78 kgs.
WNBA Team: n/a
School: University of Tennessee '08

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USA Basketball Notes:

Gold Medal: 2008 Olympics, 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball Tournament, 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, 2006 Opals World Challenge, 2004 Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament (FIBA Americas U18 Championship).

Bronze Medal: 2006 FIBA World Championship.

Honors: Named to the 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball All-Tournament Team; named to the 2006 Opals World Challenge All-Tournament Team.

• Member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team that captured the USA's fourth consecutive gold medal with a perfect 8-0 record; averaged 9.4 ppg. and 4.5 rpg.
• Aided the USA National Team to the 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball gold medal and a 3-0 slate prior to the Olympics against Latvia and eventual Olympic bronze and silver medalists Russia and Australia, respectively; averaged a team second-best 10.7 ppg. and third-best 4.7 rpg. and was named to the All-tournament Team.
• Member of the 2007 USA FIBA Americas Championship Team that competed in Valdivia, Chile, posted an unblemished 5-0 slate, captured the gold medal and qualified the U.S. for the 2008 Olympics; tied Tina Thompson as the team's high scorer with 13.8 ppg., added 4.0 rpg. and 2.4 apg., while shooting 61.7 percent from the field.
• Aided the USA to a pair of pre-FIBA Americas Championship exhibition victories over the Australia National Team, averaged a team high 15.5 ppg. and grabbed 3.5 rpg.
• One of just four 2006-07 collegiate players named to the 2007-08 USA Women's National Team on March 6, 2007.
• Youngest member and only collegiate player on the 2006 USA Basketball Women's World Championship Team that posted an 8-1 record in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and took home the bronze medal; was the teams top reserve player and averaged a team third-best 12.3 ppg. and second-best 6.1 rpg., while shooting a team-high 58.3 percent from the field.
• Aided the U.S. to a 56-49 exhibition victory over eventual World Championship gold medalist Australia, had nine points and seven rebounds.
• Eclipsed three-time Olympian Katrina McClain's all-time World Championship record for blocked shots with 14 (was 11).
• The youngest member and one of just three returning collegians named to the 2006 USA Basketball Senior National Team that won the Australia-hosted 2006 Opals World Challenge and finished with a 4-1 slate.
• Finished the tournament as the USA's leading scorer (18.0 ppg.) and second leading rebounder (8.4 rpg.), passed out 2.0 apg. and shot a blistering 69.0 percent (40-58 FGs) from the field.
• Ranked second among all tournament leaders in the four-team field for scoring and rebounding, first for field goal percentage and blocked shots (1.4 bpg.), tied for sixth for steals (1.4 spg.), tied for seventh for assists and was 12th for free throw percentage (.500).
• Scored in double digits four times and posted a pair of double-doubles, including a 26-point, 10-rebound performance in the final game against Australia, which was led by two-time Olympic silver medalist and 2003 WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson.
• Member of the 2004 USA Junior World Championship Qualifying Team that captured the gold medal in Puerto Rico, rolled up a 5-0 record and qualified the United States for the 2005 FIBA Junior World Championship.
• Started all five games and averaged team highs of 16.6 ppg., 4.8 apg. and 2.4 bpg, while posting USA second bests of 8.8 rpg. and 3.4 spg. in fewer than 20 minutes of action per contest; also dunked three times during the tournament.
• Scored in double digits in every game, including a high of 29 points in the gold medal contest, barely missed a triple-double with 13 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists against Bolivia in preliminary round action.
• Member of the 2003 USA Youth Development Festival North Team that went 1-4 and finished in fourth place; ranked among all competitors first in blocked shots (2.25 bpg.), second in rebounds (10.8 rpg.), third in scoring (15.8 ppg.) and tied for eighth in free throw percentage (.750).

Professional Notes:

WNBA

• Drafted: No. 1 in 2008 by the Los Angeles Sparks.
• WNBA MVP: 2008
• All-WNBA first team: 2008
• WNBA Rookie of the Year: 2008
• WNBA All-Rookie Team: 2008
• Garnered all 45 votes for 2008 Rookie of the Year honors.
• After her first season, ranks sixth among all-time league leaders for points averaged (18.5 ppg.), second for rebounds averaged (9.5 rpg.), third for blocks averaged (2.27 bpg.) and ninth for field goal percentage (.523).
• Led all rookies in 2008 in scoring (18.5 ppg.), rebounding (9.5 rpg.), blocks (2.3 bpg.) and minutes (33.6 mpg.).
• Led the league in double-doubles (17) in 2008, scored more than 20 points in 12 games, 30 or more points in three games, and collected more than 10 rebounds in 17 games.
• Scored her career-high of 40 points on July 9 against the Houston Comets.
• Led all 2008 WNBA competitors in rebounds, ranked fourth in points and second in blocks.
• Recorded the best rookie debut in WNBA history; posted 34 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
• On May 29 against the Indiana Fever tallied the first '5x5' performance in league history with 16 points, 16 rebounds, six blocked shots, five assists and five steals.
• Aided LA, which finished 10-24 in 2007, to the 2008 WNBA Playoffs and improved its victories by 10 games.
• Collected the 2008 May and July Rookie of the Month awards.

Collegiate Notes:

• During her three-year collegiate career led Tennessee to a 101-10 record (.910), two Southeastern Conference (SEC) Tournament titles (2006, 2008), one SEC regular season crown (2007), three NCAA Tournaments, won a pair of NCAA titles (2007, 2008) and advanced to the 2006 Elite Eight.
• Won the 2008 Honda-Broderick Cup as the nation's top female college athlete, joining past award winners like Olympic gold medalists Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Rebecca Lobo and Mia Hamm; also earned the 2007 and 2008 Honda awards as the nation's top female collegiate basketball player.
• Earned the 2008 Naismith Player of the Year and Wooden Award honors, was tabbed 2008 National Player of the Year by Earned 2008 National Player of the Year honors from Sports Illustrated and ESPN
• Named the 2008 U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) National Player of the Year for her second consecutive year and to the 2008 USBWA All-America Team.
• A 2008 All-America first team selection by the Associated Press (A.P.) and Sports Illustrated and was named to the 2008 Wooden All-America Team.
• Became the fourth player in NCAA Tournament history to twice earn Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors (2007 and 2008); also earned 2007 and 2008 NCAA Regional MOP honors.
• Named the 2008 CoSIDA Academic Athlete of the Year.
• Earned 2008 SEC Tournament MVP accolades and was named to the 2008 All-SEC first team.
• In 2007 became the youngest woman ever to earn the State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year and the John R. Wooden Player of the Year honors.
• One of four finalists for the 2007 Naismith Award and was named a 2007 WBCA/Kodak All-American, John R. Wooden All-American, A.P. All-American first team and an ESPN.com All-American.
• Named the 2007 SEC Player of the Year and was placed on the All-SEC first team.
• Earned ESPN The Magazine's Academic All-America second team honors and was the youngest player on either the first or second team.
• Named to the 2006 All-SEC first team by conference coaches and All-SEC second team by the A.P.; tabbed the 2006 SEC Rookie of the Year.
• In leading Tennessee to the 2006 SEC Tournament crown, earned SEC Tournament MVP honors.
• Named 2006 Kodak/WBCA All-Region 3 and a Kodak/WBCA All-America honorable mention.
• Earned a spot on the SEC All-Academic Freshman Team.
• Dunked twice in Tennessee's 2006 NCAA Tournament opener against Army.
• Missed the 2004-05 season while recovering from a pair of knee surgeries.

Personal Notes:

• Born on April 19, 1986, in St. Louis, Mo., hails from Naperville, Ill.
• Daughter of Sara and Larry Parker, aas two older brothers, Anthony and Marcus.
• Brother Anthony, now playing with the NBA Toronto Raptors, played on the 1996 USA 22 And Under World Championship Qualifying Team that won a gold medal in Puerto Rico.
• Engaged to Sacramento Kings forward/center Shelden Williams, a 2005 USA World University Games Team gold medalist.
• Lists fellow USA team members Tamika Catchings and Tina Thompson as the players after whom she has modeled herself.
• Hopes to one day become a television broadcaster/announcer and lists ABC's Robin Roberts and media mogul Oprah Winfrey as celebrities she admires.
• Attended Naperville Central High School (Ill.), where she was the Naismith and Gatorade National Prep Player of the Year (2003 and 2004) and a two-time USA Today's National High School Player of the Year (2003 and 2004).
• A three-time Gatorade Illinois State Player of the Year (2002, 2003 and 2004) and three-time Ms. Illinois Basketball (2002, 2003, 2004).
• Became the first woman ever to win a slam-dunk contest, winning the 2004 Powerade Jam Fest that was part of the McDonald's All American Game festivities. In the process she defeated five men, including J.R. Smith and Rudy Gay.
• Participated in the 2001 and 2002 Reze International Basketball Tournament For Girls in Nante, France, and was crowned MVP of the 2001 tournament and named to the all-tournament team twice.
• Earned a spot on her school's High Honor Roll every semester in high school.
• Graduated in May 2008 with a major in sport management and a minor in psychology at UT.
• Worked with community service organizations such as D.A.R.E, Loaves & Fishes and the Ronald McDonald House.