Sports
Candace Parker's goodbye, without cheating the game, herself or her fans
Candace Parker never wanted to cheat the game.
Of a player molded by Pat Summitt and the Lady Vols’ legacy, one would expect nothing less. Through 10 surgeries. Her pregnancy and birth of her first child, Lailaa, after her rookie season. Through offseasons spent playing in Russia and China and Turkey, and later, offseasons behind the desk on TNT, NBATV and CBS. Through a career that spanned 16 seasons and three cities in the WNBA, four years at Tennessee and two Olympics, it can be said assuredly: Parker never cheated the game. Instead, it almost feels like the game should’ve given her even more than it did.
Parker, 38, announced Sunday on Instagram that she had retired from the WNBA. From her home or a hotel or a gym somewhere, Parker silently pushed send and let the world know that one of the greatest who has ever stepped foot on a basketball court would not play again.
There were no heads-ups or warnings to the WNBA community or the players against whom she has competed for years. And there will be no send-off season or monthslong march toward her retirement. It was swift and succinct. And it was exactly how she wanted it — entirely on her terms. After a career that was too often derailed by injury, she was owed that.
“I always wanted to walk off the court with no parade or tour,” her Instagram caption read. “Just privately with the ones I love.”
That Parker’s last WNBA game was a 2-point loss on the road to Dallas in 2023 is a footnote in her story. That might’ve been her last game on the floor, but her last WNBA game was a league championship. Her third one. She might’ve been on the end of the bench, not suited up, but she was crucial for the Las Vegas Aces every step of the way. Parker went out as she always was — a winner, an incredible teammate and an advocate for the game.
In reading Parker’s message, the first memory that comes to mind is not of her final season in Las Vegas, but of her final game in the 2021 season. She had come home to Chicagoland after 13 seasons in Los Angeles to bring a title to the city. It was the first offseason under a new CBA when free agency could thrive and she was — fittingly as one of the players who helped build the league — one of the first to deliver shocking free-agency news. Months later, in October, in a decisive WNBA Finals Game 4, with five seconds remaining, Parker pulled down the final rebound of the 2021 season and began to dribble up the court. As time expired, she picked up the ball and sprinted to the corner of the court, where her family awaited. She jumped into their arms.
She returned to center court to celebrate with teammates until she spotted Lailaa and motioned for her to come running. That was when the tears really started to fall. Parker played part of her rookie season pregnant with Lailaa and thus, Lailaa has been on Parker’s basketball journey since birth.
This moment with Lailaa💙@Candace_Parker | #skytown pic.twitter.com/6cQsv7QLrb
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) October 17, 2021
“Look at the city, man, they all showed up,” Parker said, looking up at the sold-out arena with her arm draped around her daughter. “They all showed up.”
But Parker had always been a player for whom people show up — fans, cities, her family, free agents. That season had its own harbingers of a swiftly changing league as viewership and attendance ticked up. In that final game, Chance the Rapper and Scottie Pippen sat courtside, but it was Lailaa to whom she held most tightly after the game.
Her basketball career spans the epic growth of this sport that has only hastened in the past few seasons. In 2003, she became the first women’s basketball player to ever announce her college commitment on ESPN. She would later become the first women’s player to dunk in an NCAA game. In the WNBA, she became the first (and still, only) player to win MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season. Then, she became the first player to win three league titles with three franchises.
She was one of the first women’s players who tested the limits of positionless basketball. Even in college, her unicorn-like skills were undeniable. In the national title game during her senior year, play-by-play announcer Mike Patrick said: “This is almost unfair — someone of her size with this kind of speed and this kind of ballhandling.”
But it wasn’t unfair. Parker was just different. Maybe ahead of her time. Maybe right on time. She pushed the boundaries of what people saw for women’s basketball players. And she would continue to do so as a player in the WNBA both on and off the court.
She became a broadcaster, investor, professional women’s soccer team owner, face of Adidas basketball, producer and mother (in addition to Lailaa, she and her wife, Anna Petrakov, are expecting their second child together). She did all of this while continuing to fight injuries that risked her career, but rehabbing so that she could continue to be one of the best players in the WNBA. Her commitment to the game never wavered. She refused to give less than her all. A memory of Summitt not hesitating to kick her out of college practice for not giving 100 percent sat fresh in the front of her mind even two decades later.
In the wake of her retirement announcement, social media was flooded with photos from people — WNBA players, NBA players, athletes and fans — who admire Parker, both the player and person.
“The biggest thing is she did it her way, always,” former teammate Courtney Vandersloot told The Athletic. “She was the type of player that changed the game. What we see now, Candace was doing that early.”
Candace Parker has retired from the WNBA.
I broke the news to her. Here’s her instant reaction ⬇️ https://t.co/t9CpY5wrnr pic.twitter.com/WD8unfrBdt
— Ben Pickman (@benpickman) April 28, 2024
Parker never cheated basketball. She changed it. And, if anything, it owed her a few more attempts at a title and more wins while being fully healthy or having a full complement around her. Regardless of her last game, her last win or her last title, Parker changed the expectations of a women’s basketball player and WNBA player by being 100 percent herself. She stood on the shoulders of giants while allowing others to stand on her shoulders simultaneously, too.
For 16 WNBA seasons, Parker played for her family, her city and her league. She proved she could be almost as effective at that on the bench as a motivator and coach, when life necessitated it far too often, as she was on the floor. Even in retirement, her impact will be felt through the sport she helped grow.
Now, the girl who fell in love with “a little orange ball at 13 years old” can relax in retirement knowing it bounces better for the next generation because of her.
(Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
Sports
Scottie Scheffler tees off for PGA Championship's 2nd round after arrest
Scottie Scheffler teed off from the 10th hole in the second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Course in Kentucky just hours after he was arrested.
As his name was announced, and he stepped toward the tee box, Scheffler received a raucous round of applause. He would go on to birdie.
Scheffler got back to the course less than an hour before his tee time. He was tied for 12th at the start of the second round and released a statement. His first stroke hit just off the fairway.
“This morning, I was proceeding as directed by police officers. It was a very chaotic situation, understandably so considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier, and there was a big misunderstanding of what I thought I was being asked to do,” he said. “I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. I’m hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today.
“Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man who passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything in perspective.”
He was with Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman.
“Just a wild morning, man,” Harman told ESPN’s Marty Smith.
ESPN reported that Scheffler drove past a police officer in his SUV with markings on the door indicating it was a PGA Championship vehicle. The officer screamed at him to stop and then attached himself to the car until Scheffler stopped his vehicle about 10 yards later. ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington characterized it as a “misunderstanding with traffic flow” as authorities were investigating a traffic fatality earlier in the morning.
“Scheffler was then walked over to the police car, placed in the back, in handcuffs, very stunned about what was happening, looked toward me as he was in those handcuffs and said, ‘Please help me,’” Darlington said on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.” “He very clearly did not know what was happening in the situation. It moved very quickly, very rapidly, very aggressively.”
XANDER SCHAUFFELE’S 9-UNDER START MAKES PGA CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
“Right now, he’s going to jail,” one officer at the scene told Darlington. “He’s going to jail and there ain’t nothing you can do about it.”
Scheffler was booked into the Louisville Department of Corrections later Friday. He was charged with second-degree assault of a police officer (a felony), criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic.
Scheffler was coming off of four victories in the last five tournaments, including a second Masters title. He was home in Dallas the last three weeks waiting for the birth of his first child, which occurred on May 8.
Xander Schauffele had the lead after the first round. He was 9-under par. Sahith Theegala, Tony Finau and Mark Hubbard were tied for second place at 6-under par.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Sports
Column: Reds' Alon Leichman lives his dream with a heavy heart thinking of Israeli hostages
For Alon Leichman, the assistant pitching coach for the Cincinnati Reds, his job is at Dodger Stadium this weekend. His heart is in Israel.
His first coach, the one who taught him to play baseball, struggles to endure each day. The coach’s brother, kidnapped from his home by Hamas militants seven months ago, is believed to remain captive in the Gaza Strip.
“As of 10 days ago,” Leichman said Thursday, “he was still alive.” He had been shown on a hostage video.
One of Leichman’s former teammates on an Israeli national team also was kidnapped.
“I’m afraid,” Leichman said, “he is not alive.”
The Oct. 7 Hamas attack is to Israelis what the Sept. 11 Al Qaeda attack was to New Yorkers: Everyone knows someone who was killed.
Israel observed its Memorial Day this week. Leichman got a somber text from one of his friends there, apologetic in tone.
“I only got to four graves today,” the text read.
These should be days of celebration for Leichman, who was born and raised in Israel before playing college ball at Cypress College and UC San Diego. He worked as a minor league coach — briefly for the Dodgers, and for six years with the Seattle Mariners — and along the way pitched for Israel in the 2020 Olympics.
The Reds hired him last season. He had made the major leagues.
“I am living out my dream,” he said.
He reminds himself of a country’s tears wherever he goes, with the silver dog tag he wears around his neck. Embossed upon the dog tag, in English and Hebrew, is the national cry in support of the hostages: “Bring them home — now!”
In Israel last winter, Leichman participated in Saturday evening marches with that rallying cry. He did not wear the dog tag there.
“When I come to the States, I feel like this is when I need to wear this,” he said, cradling the tag in his hand, “because it creates conversation.”
He is not scared by the wave of protest against Israel. Where he grew up, a suicide bomber could lurk around any corner.
“Every bus I went on,” he said, “I had the thought that it might blow up.”
However, he does not mind having those conversations, if only to share what he personally knows. It can be difficult, he said, to persuade people that what they see on social media is different from his lived experience.
Leichman served in the Israeli army, where he said the training was stern: If you see a suspected terrorist near a civilian, you cannot shoot. His brother recently returned from serving two months in Gaza and said militants tossed grenades and shot at Israeli soldiers and then scattered down tunnels.
“I’m going to believe my brother,” Leichman said.
Leichman is not sure of how the war might end. He is not a general, nor a politician. He said the Israeli government is “shooting itself in the foot” and said that, while Hamas might be the problem, the people of Gaza are not.
“We want peace,” he said. “We have our disagreements on how we’re going to get there.”
The gloves Leichman has used this season include one stitched with “Bring Them Home Now!” and the Israeli flag, another with an image of the dog tag he wears and a Jewish star.
He took a picture with him wearing one of those gloves last week and sent it to his old coach in Israel, the one whose brother remains a hostage. It is a compassionate gesture and a helpless feeling rolled into one, when that is all you can do.
Sports
Shaun White admits itch to return to competitive snowboarding is 'always there'
Shaun White retired from competitive snowboarding following a fourth-place finish in the halfpipe event at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
White was only in his mid-30s when he decided to step away from the spot he dominated for so long. He won three gold medals at the Olympics dating back to 2006 in Italy, not to mention the 10 X Games gold medals he racked up during his illustrious career.
With the trend of great athletes possibly second-guessing retirement, White admitted in an interview with Fox News Digital that the itch to return to snowboarding is “always there.”
“It’s just kind of maintaining this sort of like, well, ‘you stopped for a reason.’ And I spoke to a lot of athletes and they were just like, ‘It never goes away,’” he said. “You’re like watching TV and (say) I could’ve made that catch. They’re just like that’s just embedded and ingrained in your for so many years of doing it. But there’s like this amazing life waiting for you outside of that.”
White said he picked the brains of some famous athletes about how they look at their careers when they are off the field or out of the pool.
EX-OLYMPICS STAR SHAUN WHITE RIDES WITH CVS FOR NEW SNACK AND BEVERAGE LINE: ‘THEY’VE REALLY UPPED THE GAME’
“Guys like Michael Strahan, Michael Phelps and I even ran into Tom Brady, which was actually great because he did the, ‘Hey I’m gonna come back’ and yeah it’s hard to let go of that feeling. And it was cool to talk to him about (it) like, ‘Man, we did it. We had our moment and we can celebrate that because the history books will show,’” White said.
He told Fox News Digital he is developing a solid career outside of competition but is still practicing tricks. While he may not be competing against other nations come 2026, he expects to be back in Italy to cheer on his friends.
“It’s definitely fun, and I’ve still been able to get back out on the mountain and work on tricks and have fun and ride. I have my own brand called White Space and we do boards and outerwear and all this stuff. I’m still involved in the sport through that. I was still testing products. We have now young riders that we sponsor. It’s been cool but yeah definitely, like, I’ll be there probably on the microphone or something for that Games. Definitely cheering my friends on.”
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
-
Politics1 week ago
'You need to stop': Gov. Noem lashes out during heated interview over book anecdote about killing dog
-
Politics1 week ago
RFK Jr said a worm ate part of his brain and died in his head
-
World1 week ago
Pentagon chief confirms US pause on weapons shipment to Israel
-
World1 week ago
Convicted MEP's expense claims must be published: EU court
-
Politics1 week ago
California Gov Gavin Newsom roasted over video promoting state's ‘record’ tourism: ‘Smoke and mirrors’
-
Politics1 week ago
Ohio AG defends letter warning 'woke' masked anti-Israel protesters they face prison time: 'We have a society'
-
News1 week ago
Students and civil rights groups blast police response to campus protests
-
Politics1 week ago
Biden’s decision to pull Israel weapons shipment kept quiet until after Holocaust remembrance address: report