Sometimes, it's not about how much time you spend somewhere, it's about how you spend the time. Candace Parker only played two seasons with the Chicago Sky, and yet, the team will retire the WNBA legend's number on August 25th, according to a release from the team.
And that's the right decision! Parker and the Sky won the 2021 WNBA Finals, the only championship in the team's 19-year history. Winning it all will endear a player to a city for life, and that's what happened with Parker in Chicago, despite playing just 55 regular season games with the team.
see you soon, 3️⃣.
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) May 28, 2025
The Chicago Sky will retire Candace Parker’s jersey on August 25, 2025.
more details here 📝: https://t.co/zUhYKwL6m9 pic.twitter.com/l0waWTybSK
Parker signing with the Sky in 2021 was a homecoming. She grew up in Naperville, just outside of Chicago, so she was already loved within the community. She became one of the biggest high school basketball stars in the country during her time at Naperville South High School, then one of the biggest college stars at Tennessee. She's been a force at all levels of hoops, so Chicago retiring her number is a full-circle moment for CP3.
Sky season has been rough, but Parker's jersey retirement will be a bright spot
In 2025, the Sky are squarely in "rebuild" mode. The team hopes its found some franchise pillars in Angel Reese and Hailey van Lith, but results have not followed quite yet for the Sky, who are 0-4 in the early stages of the W season. Improvement is needed pretty much everywhere and there isn't a clear star to build around quite yet.
Parker's jersey retirement, though, is a definite win. CP3 is one of the most liked and respected players in the entire sport, and her time in Chicago was about as successful as possible. Now a broadcaster for TNT, Parker has found success in a second career as well.