Candace Parker announces decision to sign with Las Vegas Aces in WNBA Free Agency

WNBA great Candace Parker had quite the decision in free agency this year. She could return to her hometown Chicago Sky, opt for retirement after 15 seasons or take her talents elsewhere.

She chose the latter — and she’s heading west.

Parker took to Instagram to announce she’s signing with the Las Vegas Aces. It’s a surprising decision for the former Tennessee star, who spent two years with the Sky and delivered a championship in her first season in 2021.

She said there were many factors in her decision, but most of all, it came down to family. Her daughter, Lailaa, is preparing to start high school, and she wants to be closer to her.

“As I’ve gone through free agency this time around, of course I’m thinking of where I can compete for my third championship, but the words home and family are what I kept coming back to,” Parker wrote. “No different than when I signed with Chicago. … I need to be there for my daughter, for my son, for my wife. 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.

“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.”

After a standout career at Tennessee, the Los Angeles Sparks drafted Parker with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft. She spent the first 12 years of her career in L.A., leading the Sparks to a championship in 2016, winning two MVPs and becoming a five-time All-Star.

When she entered free agency after the 2020 season, Parker decided to come back home and play for the Sky — 33 miles away from her hometown of Naperville, Illinois. She helped turn the Sky into a 16-16 team to make the WNBA playoffs and rattle off an impressive run to the Finals, where Chicago knocked off the Phoenix Mercury for its first title in franchise history.

Now, Parker is taking her talents to Las Vegas, which is coming off its own championship in the first season under coach Becky Hammon. The Aces went 26-10 and defeated the Connecticut Sun in the 3-1 WNBA Finals to bring home the title.