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Candace Parker says she'll play in 2024 if healthy – Just Women's Sports
WNBA legend Candace Parker plans to return to the court next season if she is healthy.
Parker fractured her foot during the Las Vegas Aces’ second-consecutive WNBA Finals-winning season in 2023. She underwent surgery in July after “playing on the fracture all season” and has not played in a game since.
The 37-year-old forward was interviewed by TMZ Sports on Dec. 7 and echoed statements that she made on Good Morning America in November.
“If I’m healthy, I wanna play,” Parker said to TMZ Sports.
Parker started 18 games with the Aces after singing with them as a free agent in 2023, adding chemistry to their offense as the season went along. Parker hasn’t provided a timeline for how much longer she hopes to play basketball professionally, or if she wishes to play at all. But Parker has nothing left to prove, and she seems to know this. With a 16-year career under her belt and three WNBA Championships to her name, Parker’s return hinges mostly on her comfort and desire to spend time with her family.
“If I’m healthy I’m going to play, but I’m not gonna play in pain anymore,” Parker told Robin Roberts on Good Morning America in November. “It’s too important — the trick-or-treating, the crossing over my kids — it’s too important.”
Parker provided no update on the condition of her foot, but in the video interview by TMZ Sports, she was seen walking without a boot and without any assistance.
While WNBA fans would surely like to see a farewell tour for Parker, she hopes that people focus on the future of the game.
“The game of basketball is in amazing hands, regardless,” Parker said. “If you see NCAA women, if you see the WNBA, the level that these young ladies are taking the game to is exciting and I’m just happy that now we have the visibility and the platform to do it.”
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