Candace Parker celebrated the people who shared in her journey as she took her place in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
The WNBA legend was Inducted as a member of the Class of 2026 on Saturday night in Springfield, Massachusetts. During her speech, Parker divided her career into “four quarters,” and reflectedg on the people and experiences that shaped her along the way.
That included her oldest daughter, Lailaa, who was there for some of the biggest moments of Parker’s career.
“When I accepted the Olympic gold and Rookie of the Year and MVP later that season, I knew I didn’t do it alone. I was pregnant with my favorite teammate, my daughter, Lailaa Nicole,” Parker said.
Parker welcomed Lailaa during her rookie season in the WNBA. Her daughter was by her side as she navigated the demands of motherhood and professional basketball.
“From sleepless nights nursing at halftime of games, her first steps on a road trip to Phoenix. We were a team and we shared the wins and the grind,” she said. “Her sacrifice in support over the years is something that I do not take for granted.”
The former WNBA player then shared what being Lailaa’s mother has meant to her beyond basketball.
“My favorite job is, in fact, to be your mommy. So thank you baby.”
Family remained a central part of Parker’s speech as she moved into the “fourth quarter” of her career. The three-time WNBA champion spoke about finding the courage to make decisions for herself before thanking her wife, Anna Petrakova.
“I met my wife, Anya, who I’m super grateful for her calm, her love, her support and patience as we embark on life’s challenges and changes,” Parker said.
She also recognized Petrakova’s own basketball career and the sacrifices she made for their family, describing her as an “Olympian herself, champion and professional basketball player that sacrificed for me and our family.”
The couple share sons Airr Larry and Hartt Summitt, who have only known their mother after her playing days.
“To my two boys, Hartt and Airr. Air always asked me, Mommy, you played basketball. This is the only version that they will ever know of me,” Parker said.
While her sons did not get to experience her WNBA career the same way Lailaa did, the proud mom said they now get to see the work behind everything she does.
“I get to show them every day what the process of being great takes. So you don’t just set goals, you hold yourself to a standard and commit to work every single day,” she said. “That’s greatness. Because we’re Parkers. That’s what we do.”
She even left open the possibility that another generation of Parkers could one day follow her onto the Hall of Fame stage.
“Who knows, maybe you’ll be Hall of Famers up here too.”
Parker retired from the WNBA in 2024 after 16 seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks, Chicago Sky and Las Vegas Aces. Her career included three WNBA championships, two MVP awards, seven All-Star selections and two Olympic gold medals. In 2008, she became the first and remains the only WNBA player to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season.
