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  • Chicago Sky forward/center Candace Parker during media day on May...

    Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune

    Chicago Sky forward/center Candace Parker during media day on May 3, 2022.

  • Chicago Sky's Candace Parker celebrates a layup after missing a...

    Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune

    Chicago Sky's Candace Parker celebrates a layup after missing a couple shots during the first half of the WNBA All-Star Game at Wintrust Arena on July 10, 2022.

  • Candace Parker is greeted by fans as she enters the...

    Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune

    Candace Parker is greeted by fans as she enters the arena for the WNBA All-Star Game at Wintrust Arena on July 10, 2022.

  • Chicago Sky's Candace Parker along with her children, Airr and...

    Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune

    Chicago Sky's Candace Parker along with her children, Airr and Lailaa, arrives to get her championship ring commemorating the Sky's 2021 WNBA championship at Wintrust Arena on May 24, 2022.

  • Candace Parker poses for a photo with her mother Natasha...

    Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune

    Candace Parker poses for a photo with her mother Natasha Parker and others inside Wintrust Arena before the parade and rally on Oct. 19, 2021.

  • Candace Parker celebrates after the Chicago Sky won the WNBA...

    Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune

    Candace Parker celebrates after the Chicago Sky won the WNBA championship at Wintrust Arena on Oct. 17, 2021.

  • Candace Parker hugs coach James Wade after the Chicago Sky...

    Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune

    Candace Parker hugs coach James Wade after the Chicago Sky won the WNBA championship at Wintrust Arena on Oct. 17, 2021.

  • Sky's Candace Parker goes up for a layup against the...

    Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune

    Sky's Candace Parker goes up for a layup against the Mercury's Brittney Griner and Brianna Turner in the 1st quarter of Game 4 of the WNBA Finals at Wintrust Arena on Oct. 17, 2021.

  • Candace Parker celebrates after the Chicago Sky won the WNBA...

    Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune

    Candace Parker celebrates after the Chicago Sky won the WNBA championship at Wintrust Arena on Oct. 17, 2021.

  • Sky's Candace Parker goes in for a layup in the...

    Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune

    Sky's Candace Parker goes in for a layup in the 4th quarter of a semifinal game against the Connecticut Sun on Oct. 6, 2021, at Wintrust Arena.

  • Candace Parker hugs coach James Wade while the rest of...

    Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune

    Candace Parker hugs coach James Wade while the rest of the Chicago Sky players celebrate around them after winning a playoff series over the Connecticut Sun to advance to the WNBA Finals on Oct. 6, 2021.

  • Chicago Sky's Candace Parker holds up her hand and makes...

    Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune

    Chicago Sky's Candace Parker holds up her hand and makes a No. 1 after scoring in the 2nd quarter of a playoff game against the Sun at Wintrust Arena on Oct. 3, 2021.

  • Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Candace Parker pose for a photo...

    Vashon Jordan Jr. / Chicago Tribune

    Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Candace Parker pose for a photo at the 92nd annual Bud Billiken Parade in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood on Aug. 14, 2021

  • Chicago Sky forward/center Candace Parker gestures to the bench during...

    Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune

    Chicago Sky forward/center Candace Parker gestures to the bench during the first quarter against the Indiana Fever at Wintrust Arena on June 9, 2021.

  • Chicago Sky's Candace Parker starts the fast break during the...

    Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

    Chicago Sky's Candace Parker starts the fast break during the second half of a game against the Connecticut Sun on June 17, 2021. The Sky won 81-75.

  • Chicago Sky forward/center Candace Parker guards Indiana Fever guard Danielle...

    Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune

    Chicago Sky forward/center Candace Parker guards Indiana Fever guard Danielle Robinson during the first quarter at Wintrust Arena on June 9, 2021.

  • Chicago Sky forward/center Candace Parker poses for a portrait at...

    Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune

    Chicago Sky forward/center Candace Parker poses for a portrait at Wintrust Arena on May 21, 2021.

  • Chicago Sky forward/center Candace Parker poses for a portrait at...

    Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune

    Chicago Sky forward/center Candace Parker poses for a portrait at Wintrust Arena on May 21, 2021.

  • Chicago Sky forward/center Candace Parker poses for a portrait at...

    Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune

    Chicago Sky forward/center Candace Parker poses for a portrait at Wintrust Arena on May 21, 2021.

  • Candace Parker of the Chicago Sky looks on during the...

    Scott Taetsch / Getty Images

    Candace Parker of the Chicago Sky looks on during the season opener against the Washington Mystics on May 15, 2021.

  • Chicago Sky forward Candace Parker in action during the season...

    Daniel Kucin Jr./AP

    Chicago Sky forward Candace Parker in action during the season opener against the Washington Mystics on May 15, 2021.

  • Chicago Sky's Candace Parker handles the ball in front of...

    Scott Taetsch / Getty Images

    Chicago Sky's Candace Parker handles the ball in front of the Washington Mystics' Shavonte Zellous during the season debut on May 15, 2021.

  • Candace Parker appears at an Adidas career day event on...

    Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune

    Candace Parker appears at an Adidas career day event on Feb. 15, 2020, at Venue Six10 in Chicago.

  • NBA Dunk Contest judges Candace Parker, left, Chadwick Boseman, center,...

    Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune

    NBA Dunk Contest judges Candace Parker, left, Chadwick Boseman, center, and Scottie Pippen during NBA All-Star Weekend on Feb. 15, 2020, at the United Center in Chicago.

  • A portrait of Naperville Central girls basketball star Candace Parker,...

    TERRENCE ANTONIO JAMES / CHICAGO TRIBUNE

    A portrait of Naperville Central girls basketball star Candace Parker, a 6-3 sophomore and one of the nation's top players, on Nov. 15, 2001, in Naperville.

  • Naperville Central's Candace Parker soars to the rim in front...

    WARREN SKALSKI / CHICAGO TRIBUNE

    Naperville Central's Candace Parker soars to the rim in front of Prospect's Molly May during the 19th annual Charger Classic Christmas Tournament on Dec. 28, 2001, in Carpentersville.

  • Naperville Central sophomore Candace Parker gets a hug from Carley...

    WARREN SKALSKI / CHICAGO TRIBUNE

    Naperville Central sophomore Candace Parker gets a hug from Carley Nussbaum, 7, after a game against Glenbard North on Jan. 3, 2002, in Naperville. Parker scored her 1,000th career point during the last seconds of the game.

  • Candace Parker poses in the Naperville Central High School gym...

    JOHN KRINGAS / CHICAGO TRIBUNE

    Candace Parker poses in the Naperville Central High School gym on March 20, 2002, after being the first sophomore to win the Ms. Basketball of Illinois award.

  • Naperville's Candace Parker watches as the clock winds down during...

    HEATHER STONE / CHICAGO TRIBUNE

    Naperville's Candace Parker watches as the clock winds down during overtime in the Redhawks' 63-59 victory against Fenwick in the Class AA state championship game on March 8, 2003, in Normal, Ill.

  • Portrait of Naperville Central junior Candace Parker, who won the...

    BONNIE TRAFELET / CHICAGO TRIBUNE

    Portrait of Naperville Central junior Candace Parker, who won the 2003 Ms. Basketball of Illinois award for the second year in a row.

  • L_R Courtney Peters is hug by Candace Parker as teammate...

    JOS MOR / CHICAGO TRIBUNE

    L_R Courtney Peters is hug by Candace Parker as teammate Meredith Daniels speaks to the crowd. Naperville Central girls won the class AA championships last night. Candace Parker set a few state records in the game. Chicago Tribune photo by Jose More 88722573_Chicago Tribune_Tribune photo by José Moré_3/9/2003_NIKON D1H_DSC_1020_NO MAGS/NO SALES/NO INTERNET. ORG XMIT: 88722573

  • Candace Parker celebrates after Naperville Central won the Class AA...

    JOS MOR / CHICAGO TRIBUNE

    Candace Parker celebrates after Naperville Central won the Class AA state championship on March 9, 2003, in Normal, Ill.

  • Naperville Central star Candace Parker reveals she will attend Tennessee...

    Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune

    Naperville Central star Candace Parker reveals she will attend Tennessee during a news conference on Nov. 11, 2003, at the ESPN Zone in Chicago.

  • Candace Parker, left, and Tiffany Hudson celebrate after Naperville Central...

    Jim Prisching / Chicago Tribune

    Candace Parker, left, and Tiffany Hudson celebrate after Naperville Central defeated New Trier to win back-to-back Class AA state championships on March 6, 2004, in Normal, Ill.

  • 2004 All-State Girls Basketball Team players (from left) Allie Quigley,...

    Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune

    2004 All-State Girls Basketball Team players (from left) Allie Quigley, of Joliet Catholic; Lindsay Schrader, of Bartlett; Lauren Lacey, of Marian Catholic; Candace Parker, of Naperville Central; and Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton, of Neuqua Valley pose in the Naperville Central locker room on March 11, 2004.

  • Naperville Central's Candace Parker poses for pictures in the basement...

    Chicago Tribune

    Naperville Central's Candace Parker poses for pictures in the basement of the United Center on March 24, 2004, in Chicago.

  • Tennessee's Candace Parker smiles on the bench during a game...

    Tom Van Dyke / Chicago Tribune

    Tennessee's Candace Parker smiles on the bench during a game against Notre Dame on Dec. 31, 2005, in South Bend, Ind.

  • Liz Chrissy, 13, of Naperville, embraces Tennessee's Candace Parker after...

    Tom Van Dyke / Chicago Tribune

    Liz Chrissy, 13, of Naperville, embraces Tennessee's Candace Parker after a win against Notre Dame on Dec. 31, 2005, in South Bend, Ind.

  • Tennessee coach Pat Summit stands with star Candace Parker, who...

    Charles Cherney / Chicago Tribune

    Tennessee coach Pat Summit stands with star Candace Parker, who was benched in the first half of a game against DePaul because of a curfew violation, on Jan. 2, 2008, in Chicago.

  • Tennessee's Candace Parker, left, battles for position against DePaul's Deirdre...

    Charles Cherney / Chicago Tribune

    Tennessee's Candace Parker, left, battles for position against DePaul's Deirdre Naughton on Jan. 2, 2008, in Chicago.

  • Tennessee's Candace Parker speaks during a news conference after a...

    Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune

    Tennessee's Candace Parker speaks during a news conference after a win against Oral Roberts in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 23, 2008, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.

  • Tennessee's Candace Parker (3) grabs her right shoulder during a...

    Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune

    Tennessee's Candace Parker (3) grabs her right shoulder during a game against Purdue in the NCAA Tournament on March 25, 2008, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.

  • Tennessee center Candace Parker reacts after the Los Angeles Sparks...

    CHRIS URSO / Associated Press

    Tennessee center Candace Parker reacts after the Los Angeles Sparks selected her with the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on April 9, 2008, in Palm Harbor, Fla.

  • Los Angeles Sparks center Candace Parker shares a light moment...

    Alex Garcia / Chicago Tribune

    Los Angeles Sparks center Candace Parker shares a light moment with other rookies during a symposium at the O'Hare Hilton on April 18, 2008, in Chicago.

  • Team USA's Candace Parker (15) argues a foul call during...

    Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune

    Team USA's Candace Parker (15) argues a foul call during the gold-medal game against Australia at the Summer Olympics on Aug. 23, 2008, in Beijing.

  • Los Angeles Sparks star Candace Parker carries her 2-month-old daughter,...

    Chuck Berman / Chicago Tribune

    Los Angeles Sparks star Candace Parker carries her 2-month-old daughter, Lailaa, as she returns to her hometown for the dedication of a basketball court in her name at Spring-Field Park, where she used to play growing up, on July 30, 2009, in Naperville.

  • Team USA's Candace Parker (15) shoots over Canada's Shona Thorburn...

    Harry E. Walker / McClatchy-Tribune

    Team USA's Candace Parker (15) shoots over Canada's Shona Thorburn during their quarterfinals game in the Summer Olympics on Aug. 7, 2012, in London. The U.S. won 91-48.

  • Los Angeles Sparks center Candace Parker (3) scores ahead of...

    Chuck Myers / McClatchy-Tribune

    Los Angeles Sparks center Candace Parker (3) scores ahead of Washington Mystics center Kia Vaughn in the first quarter on June 1, 2014, at the Verizon Center in Washington.

  • Los Angeles Sparks center Candace Parker (3) hits a shot...

    Chuck Myers / McClatchy-Tribune

    Los Angeles Sparks center Candace Parker (3) hits a shot over Washington Mystics forward Jelena Milovanovic in the fourth quarter on June 1, 2014, at the Verizon Center in Washington.

  • A portrait of Chicago Sky forward/center Candace Parker during media...

    Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune

    A portrait of Chicago Sky forward/center Candace Parker during media day on May 3, 2022, in Deerfield.

  • Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker holds her daughter Lailaa...

    Ringo H.W. Chiu / AP

    Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker holds her daughter Lailaa after Game 2 of a playoff semifinal series against the Sky on Sept. 30, 2016, in Los Angeles. The Sparks won 99-84.

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What does it mean to be one of the greatest of all time?

It’s something we hear tossed around in sports discussions constantly. We each define it differently, some metrics carry more weight than others. It’s completely subjective, but we ask anyway. It’s one of the greatest and forever arguments in sports.

Is it championships? Is it individual player awards? Is it impact on the game?

Candace Parker attended her first basketball game at two weeks old. After a basketball career that spans nearly her entire life, the former Naperville Central hoops star announced her retirement Sunday on social media. Parker leaves the game a three-time WNBA champion, WNBA Rookie of the Year, two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player, seven-time WNBA All-Star, two-time Olympic gold medalist, three-time Ms. Basketball of Illinois and with a host of other awards and accolades.

When Parker announced she was choosing to forgo her final season of eligibility at Tennessee to declare for the 2008 WNBA draft, a Tribune article titled “Candace Parker Goes Pro” asked, “Could Candace Parker do for women’s basketball in Chicago what Michael Jordan did for the Bulls?”

In that year’s draft, then-team President Margaret Stender and the Sky held the No. 2 pick. But with the hometown phenom Parker available, they wanted to trade up with the Los Angeles Sparks for the first overall pick.

“We’ve been talking to (L.A.) and they know we’re open to a deal. But Candace is hard to walk away from,” Stender said in February 2008 after news spread of Parker entering the draft.

The Sparks said their team would “keep its options open to the best thing” for the team.

Naperville Central sophomore Candace Parker has been voted 2001 Ms. Basketball of Illinois in balloting by coaches, writers and media from around the state. She is the first sophomore to be so honored,
Naperville Central sophomore Candace Parker was voted 2001 Ms. Basketball of Illinois in balloting by coaches, writers and media from around the state. (Chicago Tribune)

“Candace Parker is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and Magic Johnson all rolled into one — that’s how good she is,” Sparks coach Michael Cooper said at the time.

The Sparks kept their pick and used it on Parker, while the Sky drafted LSU star and future WNBA MVP Sylvia Fowles.

In 2021, after 13 seasons with L.A., Parker returned to Chicago as a veteran superstar. With teammates Allie Quigley, Courtney Vandersloot and Kahleah Copper, she helped win the franchise’s first WNBA championship and the only championship by a Chicago professional sports team since 2016.

And the city showed up to watch her do it. For Games 3 and 4 of the 2021 WNBA Finals at Wintrust Arena, a sellout crowd of 10,387 was in attendance to watch the Sky defeat Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury.

Last summer, I wrote about how Chicagoans view the city as a basketball mecca. Parker represents that proud love and legacy.

“She’s the original Caitlin Clark. CP is Jordan and Caitlin is LeBron in terms of visibility,” Marquee Sports Sky reporter Karli Bell told me. “Candace Parker is the epitome of what a women’s Chicago basketball player is. She had a ferocity, intensity, and grit that represented the city of Chicago on such a level that everyone who was playing basketball at that time really wanted to emulate it.”

Tennessee's Candace Parker celebrates winning the NCAA Women's Championship game at the St. Petersburg Times Forum in Tampa, FL on Tuesday, April 8, 2008 (Tom Burton/Orlando Sentinel)
Tennessee’s Candace Parker celebrates winning the NCAA Women’s Championship game in Tampa, FL on Tuesday, April 8, 2008 (Tom Burton/Orlando Sentinel)

Bell, a former basketball player, was first introduced to Parker when she read a March 2002 Tribune feature on Parker as the 2002 Ms. Basketball of Illinois when she was 8 years old.

“I remember when she was Gatorade Player of the Year and in the McDonald’s High School All-American Game. She represented the city on such a level — even though she was from Naperville, she still repped Chicago by the way she carried herself on the court. She has a swagger and grace with a basketball that is Chicago,” Bell said.

Like many young girls in basketball, Bell tried to perfect her floater to look like Parker’s and spent hours in her Chicago alley practicing Parker’s step and lay-in technique. There’s a generation of young women hoopers with this same story. Not only did Parker show them what it was like to win on every level — two-time Class AA state champion, two-time NCAA champion — she played with such versatility and confidence she changed the way the post positions are played.

Looking back at Candace Parker’s 2 seasons with the Chicago Sky, including the team’s 1st WNBA title and all those records

While many who looked up to Parker didn’t make it to the WNBA, they can be seen in and around the game. And some of Parker’s fans, like the Sky’s Isabelle Harrison, did achieve WNBA dreams — a testament to Parker’s lasting influence in the game. Her two NCAA championships were the last two for legendary women’s basketball coach Pat Summit. And with Parker’s retirement, Harrison becomes the last active WNBA player to be coached by Summit.

But it wasn’t just women who admired Parker.

“‘The real CP3’ has an Illinois girls basketball high school resume that’s going to be extremely hard to top: four-time first-team all-state, back-to-back state titles, back-to-back-to back unanimous Illinois high school player of the year, back-to-back back unanimous USA Today, Naismith and Gatorade high school player of the year,” said Eugene McIntosh, co-founder of The Bigs and former Mt. Carmel basketball player. “Even though she’s not officially ‘from the crib,’ she was so raw that we adopted her. And you know how we feel about suburbanites claiming Chicago. Her Illustrious NCAA and W careers, specifically coming back and winning one with the Sky, have etched her name into legendary status.”

As a high school sophomore, Parker dunked for the first time in a game. It was the first dunk by a female athlete in Illinois. But she didn’t stop there. Parker made slam dunk history again when she became the first woman to enter and win the dunk contest in the McDonald’s All-American game.

Over her 16-year WNBA career, Parker averaged 16 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4 assists. She closes this chapter ranked ninth in WNBA history in career points, third in career rebounds, second in career defensive rebounds, seventh in career assists, fifth in career blocks, seventh in career made field goals, ninth in career field goal attempts, fourth in career double-doubles, eighth in career rebounds per game and third in defensive rebounds per game. Parker is one of five players in WNBA history with multiple triple-doubles.

In addition to her on-court contributions, Parker advocated for women and girls in sports and became an example of motherhood among female athletes.

As she moves into whatever the future holds, Parker has said she is interested in WNBA team ownership. I can think of a local team who could use her at the helm.

“Dear Summer,” Parker wrote on Sunday. “I know you gon’ miss me.” A reference to the Jay-Z song from rapper Memphis Bleek’s fourth album. The song, Hov’s metaphor-filled love letter to his rap career, was the perfect ending note for her career. She often used the legendary rapper’s lyrics to make points and motivate herself, so I’ll use some to remember her in kind. In “Young Forever” Jay-Z says:

“Reminisce, talk some s—, forever young is in your mind / Leave a mark they can’t erase, neither space nor time / So when the director yells cut, I’ll be fine / I’m forever young.”

Throughout her basketball career, Parker grew up before our eyes. She won, she lost, she fell down and got back up again. In the face of disrespect, she’d hit a new milestone. Parker showed us what it meant to never cheat the game, but most importantly to never cheat ourselves. When the time was right and she was at peace, she made her exit.

So to answer the question: Did Parker do for women’s basketball in Chicago what Jordan did for the Bulls?

When the history is written, she’s in there. She’s up there. She’s at the top, near the top. You have to speak about her.

That’s her impact.