WNBA Champion Candace Parker joins SI to discuss her new documentary, her championship experiences, and what her family is up to in this stage of her career.
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00:00 I am here with the legendary Candice Parker,
00:03 who is about to release Candice Parker Unapologetic.
00:06 It debuts on ESPN on November 12th.
00:08 She gives us an inside look into her journey
00:11 through basketball and life.
00:13 One of the predominant themes of the documentary
00:15 was your relationship with Pat Summitt.
00:17 Can you explain to everyone what she means to you,
00:21 both in your personal and professional life?
00:25 - Coach Pat was like a second mom to me.
00:28 And just through her lessons,
00:31 not just on the court, but off the court,
00:33 I think I continue to parent,
00:35 I continue to be a better partner, daughter,
00:38 all of those things,
00:39 because of the things that I've learned from her.
00:42 She was all about working hard and working smart.
00:45 And she was all about discipline.
00:47 And so I can still hear her say,
00:49 "Discipline yourself so no one else has to."
00:52 And that's a lesson that will always stick with me.
00:54 And I'm sure my daughter's heard it a number of times.
00:57 - You are the first woman to win three WNBA championships.
01:02 Does the last one, the one you just won,
01:04 hold the most significance for you?
01:08 - I think it was the biggest learning curve.
01:10 I got hurt midway through the season,
01:12 and I joined Vegas with the knowledge of like,
01:16 "Hey, listen, y'all won last year.
01:18 You guys can win with or without me,
01:20 but I want to come in and just make things easier."
01:23 And so the way I had envisioned,
01:27 I guess, winning the championship was not in that way.
01:30 But I was extremely like blown away
01:33 by just how amazing a group of an organization,
01:38 of the team, of upper management, of coaches,
01:42 and just how they always rally together
01:44 and they accept you for who you are.
01:46 And battling through adversity is something that I'm used to.
01:50 And just to see them overcome adversity,
01:52 especially in that game four, was unbelievable.
01:56 And so to be a part of it,
01:57 I think it was just a unique view because I wasn't,
02:00 it was the only championship I wasn't on the court for.
02:04 But it really taught me a lot of lessons
02:06 and it was super special to watch
02:08 everyone come together to win.
02:10 - So you and your teammates went to an Usher concert
02:12 after you guys won the title this year?
02:15 - So I was not with my teammates.
02:19 Yeah, I wasn't with my teammates,
02:20 but I saw the viral hits of, you know,
02:23 Usher dancing on Asia.
02:25 - Yeah, I was with my teammates.
02:27 You know, did you miss out?
02:29 (laughs)
02:31 - So I was able to go to the Usher concert last year
02:33 on his birthday.
02:35 Amazing performer.
02:36 If you all have not been to the Usher concert,
02:39 like you're missing out.
02:40 I think it's hilarious just in terms of like,
02:43 seeing the viral hit of him dancing on Asia.
02:46 And, you know, the backstory of it is
02:49 every year Asia's been like,
02:50 "Hey, Usher, come to the championship celebration."
02:53 And so for them to have that moment,
02:56 I thought it was hilarious.
02:58 - Oh my God, were you like cracking up
02:59 when Asia finally got her moment in front of Usher?
03:02 (laughs)
03:04 - Usher has a way, man.
03:06 Usher has a way, it's hilarious.
03:08 - He just does something.
03:10 - Mm-hmm, for sure.
03:12 - So besides being a phenomenal WNBA player,
03:17 you've also been serving as a commentator
03:20 for Turner Sports.
03:21 You've been on it for a few years now.
03:24 What's that like compared to the WNBA?
03:27 - Well, I love, I'm a huge fan of basketball,
03:31 the NBA basketball.
03:32 And so, you know, for me,
03:34 I think it's just a great experience to be able to,
03:38 I think it's the best second job in the world.
03:39 If I'm not playing, I definitely want to talk about it.
03:41 And so to be on television
03:42 and to watch some of your favorite players play
03:45 and to be able to analyze it and break it down.
03:47 And I love it.
03:50 And so it's something I definitely want to do
03:51 for a long time.
03:52 - Yeah, I was going to ask you,
03:54 what's your future looking like in broadcasting?
03:57 - No, I hope to continue to do it.
03:59 I really enjoy it.
04:00 So I'm kind of, you know, doing the studio work now
04:05 with a little bit of games,
04:06 like doing some TV analysts on site at games.
04:10 So I enjoy both of those things.
04:12 - Okay, so now I got to ask you,
04:15 who's your favorite person to work with?
04:17 And tell me why it's Shaq.
04:18 (laughs)
04:19 - Oh my gosh.
04:21 It's so funny.
04:22 I, listen, I have, you know, amazing,
04:25 I call them my big brothers.
04:26 I have amazing big brothers from, you know,
04:29 Isaiah Thomas and Jamal and D Wade
04:32 and Shaq on down the list.
04:36 There's Grant, there's Reggie.
04:38 And so I really enjoy, I think we have a great time.
04:41 And to be honest with you,
04:42 I think it's more so like the relationship we have.
04:44 We keep in touch off the, you know,
04:46 outside the studio, off the court.
04:48 And I think that that's what makes the show
04:50 that much better.
04:52 - Speaking of Wade,
04:53 you talked about him and Kevin Durant in the documentary.
04:58 They helped you out before you joined Chicago.
05:02 What advice did they give you?
05:04 - Well, D Wade and Katie were just like,
05:08 "Don't worry about what other people are going to say."
05:11 Because first they're going to like be mad at your decision.
05:14 And then if you win, they're going to love you.
05:16 And that's exactly what happened.
05:18 So I guess they were like, "Yep."
05:23 - So you mentioned about,
05:25 there's like a big if question, right?
05:26 Are you going to play next season?
05:28 Are you not?
05:29 I know what you said.
05:30 It just depends on the situation.
05:32 How are you feeling today?
05:33 Like, what is your mood today?
05:34 Are you joining?
05:35 Are we going to see you another season?
05:37 - I, you know, I think just health is wealth.
05:40 So for me, if I'm healthy,
05:42 I definitely want to try to play, you know, another year.
05:45 But I can't walk around.
05:47 I can't play in pain.
05:48 And so that's the biggest measurement is, you know,
05:51 whether I can get my body right
05:53 to be able to withstand a full WNBA season.
05:56 - And how are you feeling about that today?
05:59 Like, what is your percentage at in terms of that?
06:02 (laughing)
06:04 - Well, I'm still on my,
06:05 I'm still rehabbing on my citizen workout.
06:08 So I think it's going to be more so towards,
06:10 you know, December, January, when, you know,
06:12 I'm able to get back moving and running
06:14 and pushing off my foot, so.
06:16 - All right.
06:19 One of the biggest takeaways I got from the documentary,
06:22 which is absolutely phenomenal.
06:24 Your love for your kids and your family.
06:27 You raised your first daughter.
06:29 You had, did you even think a second daughter
06:31 would be in the cards?
06:32 And what has it been like with the second kid coming?
06:36 I know it's completely different from the first.
06:38 - Yeah, a hundred percent.
06:40 My kids are, they mean the world to me.
06:43 My daughter, Layla, and my little man, Ayer.
06:47 I think it's just, it's amazing to be a mom
06:49 because you're able to kind of
06:51 see the world through their eyes again.
06:53 And it's just super special.
06:55 I take that role with just so much love and responsibility
07:00 and, you know, kind of different roles, right?
07:04 Like Layla was born at the beginning of my career
07:07 and now Ayer's kind of coming along
07:08 with transitioning out of basketball.
07:10 And so I guess the question now is like,
07:12 will he know me as, you know, Hooper?
07:15 I think that's the biggest thing.
07:17 So he's gonna, when he grows up,
07:19 I don't know if he's gonna be like, mom,
07:21 he's gonna be like, mom, you played basketball?
07:22 That's gonna be the question.
07:23 So I gotta, that's my motivation
07:26 is to play a little bit longer
07:27 so that he can remember seeing his mom play basketball.
07:30 - As a woman in sports,
07:32 what is the biggest advice you can give to young women
07:35 who's trying to go after this type of dream
07:38 and accomplishment?
07:40 - Yeah, be yourself.
07:41 That's the biggest thing.
07:42 And I know it sounds cliche, but lean into that.
07:46 Being authentic is extremely important.
07:48 And I think that the authenticity comes across,
07:51 whether it's in the way that you play,
07:53 whether it's in the way that you broadcast
07:55 or just the way you carry yourself on a daily basis.
07:58 And I think the biggest thing from me as a person,
08:03 also me as, you know, an athlete and a business woman,
08:07 the biggest thing is just leaning into that
08:09 and being authentic in who you are
08:11 and what you believe and what you represent
08:13 and working towards that.
08:15 That's kind of how we came up with the name Unapologetic,
08:17 just because for so long,
08:18 I think being a people pleaser is the lane
08:21 that I tried to lean into.
08:24 And I think it's better when you're able
08:27 to just be unapologetic for who you are
08:29 and for what you love and for who you love.
08:32 - Everyone should definitely check out the documentary.
08:34 You guys, it was phenomenal.
08:36 I'm very impressed.
08:38 Everyone is at will when they see it.
08:41 With that being said, for Sports Illustrated,
08:44 I'm Melissa Amrita here with the legendary Candice Parker.
08:49 And we hope you guys check out the documentary.
08:51 It comes out on ESPN, November 12th.
08:54 And we'll see you guys soon.
08:55 Hopefully we'll see Candice as well.
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