Candace Parker was thrilled after seeing the USC Trojans defeat the UConn Huskies in a close showdown between formidable teams.
In her Instagram story, Parker shared Overtime OBB’s post showing the USC’s 72-70 victory against Connecticut. She wrote:
“Winning at UConn is only second to dunking on emmmmm @jujubballin #werk.”
The match saw JuJu Watkins of the Trojans scoring 25 points, six rebounds, and five assists over 38 minutes. Kiki Iriafen supported her with a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds.
In the post-game interview, Watkins was grateful for giving women’s sports a chance to be witnessed by many fans.
“It’s just a testament to when you give women a platform, we’re going to perform. I think tonight was an excellent game. … It was just beautiful to be a part of. And I couldn’t imagine watching it,” Watkins said.
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Meanwhile, Paige Bueckers scored 22 points for the Huskies. Sarah Strong assisted her with 22 points and 13 rebounds.
The rise of players such as Watkins and Bueckers heavily hyped college women’s basketball, determined to make their names in the WNBA, and legends like Candace Parker willingly await how their successors follow their footsteps as one of the most renowned in the league.
Parker spent 16 seasons in the WNBA, gaining three championships in three teams before retiring this spring. Now, she’s the president of Adidas’ Women’s Basketball after being their partner throughout her career.
Candace Parker’s ultimate retirement goal: Managing a team
Candace Parker’s foot injury rendered her out of the court early this year., leading to her retirement. However, she continues to set her eyes on women’s basketball, sharing her ambitions to own a team someday.
In Bloomberg’s “The Deal” podcast, Parker discloses her intentions to lead a squad in the NBA or the WNBA, highlighting how she would use her experiences as a player to become a general manager.
“I always believe in speaking things into existence, and [owning a team] is a goal of mine,” Parker said. “And I’m not gonna shy away from it. I think everybody assumes, you know, WNBA players own a WNBA team, but I’m a huge fan of the NBA as well. I think that’s a possibility as well.”
“…It’s just recreating the blueprint of what you had as an athlete. I mean, you look at seasons, you figure out what your goals are. Obviously the championship would be owning a team,” she added.
https://youtu.be/kyyiwcOtGlo
Candace Parker navigates the business world by managing Adidas’ Women’s Basketball position. According to Forbes, she has a net worth of $8.1 million, which is still a long way to go before owning a team.
Candace Parker sighs autographs for fans after the NCAA college basketball game between the Tennessee Lady Vols and Georgia on Sunday, January 15, 2023 in Knoxville, Tenn.
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