For the first time since leaving, Candace Parker played basketball in the building she once called home for the first time since 2019. Parker, who left Los Angeles after 13 seasons, came back to LA to help the Chicago Sky beat the Los Angeles Sparks in an 82-59 blowout win.
The Return
Since her departure, The Staples Center has become The Crypto.com Arena, but Parker’s history and impact on the franchise remains. You only have to look up, and you will see the 2016 championship banner where Parker was named Finals MVP.
Coming into this game, Chicago and Los Angeles met three times last season. Due to an ankle injury, Parker didn’t play in any of the match-ups, and because of the Lakers’ playoff run, they pushed the Sparks to the LA Live building next door. In her initial match-up against LA, the Sky’s 2022 season opener, Parker scored 21 points, but the Sparks came away with the victory.
Chicago came out very aggressive in the first quarter. The Sky would shoot 47 percent from the floor while holding Los Angeles to just 23 percent shooting. Chicago would take a 30-point lead into halftime.
Candace Parker’s influence could be felt early in the first and second quarters, as the 2x MVP almost had a double-double at halftime in just assists and rebounds, with nine assists and ten rebounds.
Historic Night
Los Angeles would come out more energized in the 3rd quarter, shooting 45 percent from the floor as a team and outscoring the Sky 22-17, but Candace Parker turned out to be too much. After a drive to the basket with seconds remaining in the 3rd quarter, Parker became the all-time leader in triple-doubles, the 3rd for her career and her second of the season. Parker finished with 10 points, 14 rebounds, and ten assists.
In this game, Parker would also move up to 8th on the WNBA’s all-time assist leader lists while moving past Lauren Jackson to become 5th in all-time blocks.
In the press conference after the game, ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel asked Parker about the historic triple-double, in which she gave credit to her teammates, saying:
I’m just appreciative of my teammates. I love being a playmaker. I think in terms of trying to get the right shot and the correct shot, and get the best shot. You know we’re a team that can shoot and can get to the paint, can play in secondary, can play in motion and that’s the way I like to play, and it’s one of the reasons I came here.
Azura Stevens continued to be a force off the bench for the Sky, finishing with 15 points. Courtney Vandersloot also added 15 points in the win.
Chicago will return home to take on the Minnesota Lynx on June 6 at 5:00 pm.
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