Former WNBA star Candace Parker and her wife, Anna Petrakova, have welcomed their second child together.
The couple announced the birth of their son, Hartt Summitt Petrakov Parker, born on May 21, 2024, in an Instagram post on Monday.
“Our Starting lineup is complete,” they said in a joint statement. “We are so in love and grateful for our little brother. Zone defense is ummm interesting, but we are managing. Goose is ummm adjusting, but he’s doing better with his role as a vet (Mama is a rockstar and we love her soooo much).”
The announcement was accompanied by a series of sweet photos captured by professional photographer April Belle. One adorable photo features the couple’s 2-year-old son, Airr Larry, and Parker’s 14-year-old daughter, Lailaa, posing with their new baby brother.
“Thank you @aprilbellephotos for always capturing our fam!” the pair wrote in the caption.
Hartt Summitt’s name holds a special significance as it pays tribute to Parker’s late college basketball coach, Pat Summitt.
Reflecting on Summitt’s profound influence on her life, Parker wrote in a 2009 Sports Illustrated piece, “I sometimes did not understand her logic, but now that I am out in the real world, I see that there was a method to her madness. Everything she did was to make me a better individual.”
Candace Parker played under Summitt’s coaching for a couple of years before being drafted into the WNBA in 2008. Towards the end of that season, she discovered she was pregnant with her oldest daughter, Lailaa.
“I was actually pregnant with [Lailaa] at the end of the year, my rookie year,” Candace told WSLAM in a previous interview. “I accepted the MVP and Rookie of the Year trophy with my daughter and then from there it’s just been our journey.”
After an impressive 16-season career in the WNBA, Candace Parker retired from professional basketball in April 2024. Although she had initially re-signed with the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces, she announced her retirement on the first day of training camp, marking the end of an era.
