WNBA Draft: South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston selected first overall by Indiana
USA TODAY Sports’ Mackenzie Salmon take us inside the collegiate career of Aliyah Boston who is now a member of the Indiana Fever in the WNBA.
Sports Pulse, USA TODAY
Candace Parker is finding success in her first year with the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, who are at the top of the WNBA standings with an 8-1 record. They’ve dominated even through a two-game suspension for head coach Becky Hammon. Parker is averaging 8.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in her 16th season.
In a recent feature on Just Women’s Sports published Wednesday, the two-time MVP explained why she wanted to keep playing after her contract with the Chicago Sky expired at the end of last season.
She won the 2021 WNBA championship with her hometown team and sought to be part of only the third franchise in league history to win back-to-back titles, but the Sky dropped an 11-point lead in Game 5 and lost to the Connecticut Sun in the semifinals.
“(The loss) kept me up at night and just ate at my soul,” said Parker. “It was kind of just one of those things where I was like, I can’t end like this. The last time I play basketball, we’re not gonna blow a (double-digit) lead in the fourth quarter. So, I think that kind of refocused and motivated me.”
Despite battling an ankle injury and speculation of her retirement, the 37-year-old added that she kept going because her competitive nature has no off switch.
“I’m an idiot. I’ll be on the Peloton and it’s like ‘Pedals By Patty’ is trying to beat my score and I’m like, ‘Nooo!’” Parker said. “It’s just the competitive element. Even on chill days, I can’t let Pedals By Patty beat me.”
Her desire to keep winning, the longing to be back on the West Coast with her family and a reconnection with former Sparks teammate Chelsea Gray all contributed to Parker signing with the Aces. The move was one of many free agency splashes last offseason that saw Courtney Vandersloot and Breanna Stewart joining the New York Liberty.
“Being away from her and then having her come back and seeing her every day in practice, it’s really cool to see,” Gray, the Finals MVP, said of being reunited with Parker. “Like, damn, I miss seeing you play this closely. And it’s been a cool dynamic to see her play with others that haven’t ever had that experience.”
The Aces also have leading scorer A’ja Wilson and All-Star Kelsey Plum on their roster as they try to make the history that the Sky couldn’t.
