As the WNBA season gets underway, so does the final season of Sylvia Fowles’ career, and likely Sue Bird’s career as well.

Another legend in Candace Parker may be adding her name to that list.

Parker, who is entering her 15th season in the WNBA and is a two-time MVP, revealed that she is considering retirement on NBA TV’s “WNBA Weekly” show with Kristen Ledlow.

Ledlow asked if Parker was operating under the assumption that this will be her last season playing in the league.

“That is how I’m entering the season,” Parker said. “I mean, I don’t know, I don’t know what the future holds. I know my contract is up after this year. And there will be decisions to be made.”

sorry about the quality but uh candace parker said she’s operating under the assumption this is her last year?? pic.twitter.com/Ze2LJyzgjo

— whitney medworth (@its_whitney) May 6, 2022

Parker joined the Chicago Sky ahead of the 2021 season from Los Angeles and helped lead the franchise to its first WNBA title and her second. The Sky are among the favorites to win it all again this season with the return of Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley and Finals MVP Kahleah Copper. The team also added 2019 Finals MVP Emma Meesseman in the offseason.

Parker revealed that she was “ready and really thinking about” retirement after the 2021 title run.

“I’m game for playing five, six more WNBA seasons if I could literally have an easy button of getting in shape. It’s the easy button, that’s the problem,” Parker said. “It’s the being in the studio, which I love, but then waking up in the morning and working out before going on air. It’s the travel. It’s the offseason. So I think the first workout that I did the end of October, I was like, ‘Yeah, I really might retire.’ That’s how close I was. I was literally looking at my exercise bike and I was just like, ‘Yeah, that might have been a good time to retire. I don’t want to do this.'”

She added that her daughter Lailaa convinced her to play at least one more year.

“We were driving home from my daughter’s basketball practice and she was like, ‘Mom, I think you should play another year. You know, run it back,'” Parker told Ledlow. “And I don’t know, it’s just something about now my son [Airr, who was born in February] being able to be at the games and see his mom play and just my family being able to be there.

“I think at this point in my career for the last three or four years, I’ve operated in the present, and understand the value of every day because there’s more basketball behind me than in front of me, and I realize that. I’m excited for this ride.”

The NWSL is changing up its athlete acquisition process, with the league announcing on Wednesday that it will replace the CBA-eliminated draft with a pair of player combines starting this December.

Dividing prospects into two groups — adults and college-aged (U18-23) and youth (U13-17) — the three-day programs will showcase player talent and allow clubs to sign standouts as free agents.  

To maintain competitive balance across the NWSL and set incoming 2026 expansion teams Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC up for success, the league already revised several roster-building mechanisms, including adopting a new allocation money structure as well as intra-league loans.

Like the abolishment of the draft and the new mechanism requiring athletes to acquiesce to their own trades, the new NWSL combines will give players more freedom over their careers while also better aligning the growing US league with global soccer standards.

"As the women's soccer landscape continues to rapidly evolve, a Combine is a strategic platform that will allow us to support NWSL clubs in early talent evaluation and provide players with exposure to a professional environment," said league director of youth development Karla Thompson in Wednesday's statement.

"This initiative is about widening the lens...and ensuring that talent, wherever it resides, has a continued pathway to our league."

Despite falling from the playoffs on Wednesday night, Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase is still ending her season on a win, with the WNBA naming the first-year expansion team sideline boss the 2025 Coach of the Year this week.

Nakase picked up 53 out of the sports media panel's 72 votes to take the title, with fellow sideline rookie Karl Smesko (Atlanta Dream) trailing with 15 votes while veteran leaders Becky Hammon (Las Vegas Aces) and Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota Lynx) tied for third place with two votes apiece.

"What this does, is it reflects on [our] whole organization," said Nakase, sharing credit with her team and staff. "Without [the players], we wouldn't have had a winning season and we wouldn't be where I am today now."

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Golden State made WNBA expansion history under Nakase

In leading Golden State to a 23-21 regular season — a league record for wins by an expansion team in their first campaign — Nakase also minted the Valkyries as the first-ever expansion franchise to make the WNBA Playoffs in their debut season.

That success came from the team's strong defense, as the Valkyries held opponents to a league-wide low in both points per game (76.3) and field goal percentage (40.5%) on the year.

Before joining the Valkyries, Nakase served as an assistant coach in Las Vegas, helping guide the Aces to back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023.

"Natalie has been a fierce leader from the very moment she was announced as head coach," said Golden State GM Ohemaa Nyanin. "Her core philosophy of connectivity and emphasis on high character has created an environment where everyone can thrive. Her unique approach to leadership and ability to hold players accountable with care while staying true to her values has been remarkable."

"I love playing for a fiery coach who always wants to win and believes in her players so much," said Valkyries — and former Aces — guard Kate Martin.

The new WNBA home-away-home first-round format has upped the dramatics in the 2025 Playoffs, as multiple home-court upsets have forced Game 3 deciders this week.

The No. 6 Indiana Fever's Game 2 win over No. 3 Atlanta set up Thursday's elimination game, with the injury-riddled Fever taking down the Dream 77-60 on Tuesday to keep their playoff dreams alive.

The No. 7 Seattle Storm also earned themselves a Game 3, facing No. 2 Las Vegas in Thursday's nightcap after snapping the Aces' 17-game winning streak in Tuesday's 86-83 Game 2 shocker.

Indiana and Seattle remain the series' underdogs, ceding home-court advantage as Atlanta aims to build on their first playoff win since 2016 while Las Vegas shoots for a third title in four years.

"Our backs were definitely against the wall in this, and we know that we've just been through so much this season," Fever center Aliyah Boston said postgame. "Coming out with this win and then giving ourselves another chance in Game 3, emotions are high."

How to watch Game 3 action in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs

The first round's Game 3 finales begin with two winner-take-all matchups on Thursday night, beginning when the No. 6 Indiana Fever tackles the No. 3 Atlanta Dream at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN2.

Shortly afterward, the No. 6 Seattle Storm will take on the No. 2 Las Vegas Aces, also airing live on ESPN2.

The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx became the first WNBA team to punch their ticket to the 2025 semifinals with a dramatic come-from-behind win on Wednesday night, fighting back from a 17-point deficit to sneak past the No. 8 Golden State Valkyries 75-74 and sweep their first-round playoffs series.

Bolstered by a strong crowd traveling down to San Jose for the relocated home matchup, the Valkyries broke out into an early lead, but the 2025 expansion side couldn't hang on in the final seconds as the top-seeded Lynx rallied.

"I am just so proud of our effort," Minnesota forward Napheesa Collier said postgame. "I think it shows the grit and the resilience that this team has and what we've been talking about for two years."

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The Lynx secured the only sweep in this year's best-of-three opening postseason round, with every other series moving to a Game 3 decider.

"The games that we've watched demonstrate that level of desperation for teams in elimination games," Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve reflected.

How to watch the Minnesota Lynx in the 2025 WNBA semifinals

The No. 1 Minnesota Lynx will next face the lowest seed to advance past this week's first round, with Thursday and Friday Game 3 action determining their opponent.

The 2025 WNBA semifinals will then tip off on Sunday, with live coverage airing on ESPN platforms.