WNBA star Candace Parker announced on social media Saturday that she has signed with the Las Vegas Aces as an unrestricted free agent. Parker, who has played on Chicago Sky for the past two seasons, announced her decision in a lengthy Instagram post. Parker said she wanted to play somewhere closer to her wife and children, who live on the west coast. That made the Aces an ideal landing spot for Parker as she chased her third WNBA title.
“I need to be there for my daughter, my son and my wife,” Parker wrote on Instagram. “I can’t be without her part of the season when Lailaa is at school and I won’t miss her volleyball games or school dances just because they’re far away. Lailaa starts high school in August and I need to be there for her. like she was there for me
“After evaluating the landscape with my family, we decided that the Las Vegas Aces was the right organization for us at this point in our lives.”
Parker also thanked Sky and the entire city of Chicago for their support during their time there.
“I am forever grateful to everyone in Chicago – our fans, teammates, coaches and owners,” Parker wrote. “But more than the last two seasons, I am grateful to the city I grew up in, the childhood friends I still have to this day, the teachers I still learn from and the moments that will stay with me forever will be in my heart.”
Parker just wrapped up her 15th WNBA season and proved she’s got plenty of fuel in her tank. Parker averaged 13.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
Parker won a WNBA championship with Sky in 2021 and led the team to a semifinal in 2022 before being eliminated by the Connecticut Sun. Now Parker joins the defending WNBA champion in his pursuit of another ring.
Parker is joining an organization that has recently been criticized by former Aces star Dearica Hamby, who says the team’s management was “unprofessional” and “unethical” towards her after she announced her second pregnancy in September. The Aces traded Hamby for the Sparks hours before she made those allegations on social media. The WNBA Players Association has announced it will investigate the Aces over their treatment of Hamby.