VFL Legend Candace Parker To Be Inducted into Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame

Image: Al Messerschmidt

By Aidan Sidoti

No surprise here.

Tennessee legend Candace Parker will be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2026, joining an illustrious group that includes Elena Della Donne, Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, and NBA analyst Doris Burke.

Parker retired from basketball in April 2024 after 16 seasons in the WNBA and leaves behind one of the most decorated careers in women’s basketball history.

A two-time national champion for the Vols under Pat Summit, Parker won back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008, earned two John Wooden National Player of the Year awards, and was a three-time First Team All-American during her time in Knoxville.

She also excelled on the international stage, winning Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games.

In the WNBA, Parker was selected No. 1 overall in the 2008 draft and made history becoming the first player ever to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season.

Over her 16-year career, Parker was a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-WNBA First Team, and three-time WNBA champion, winning titles with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2016, Chicago Sky in 2021, and Las Vegas Aces in 2023. She remains the only player in league history to rank in the top 10 all-time in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks.

Parker’s No. 3 Tennessee jersey was retired by the university in 2014.