As soon as Candace Parker made her decision to sign with Las Vegas public, basketball fans and experts alike penciled the Aces in as repeat champions. No games have been played yet, but it’s hard to imagine anyone beating this team. They were the favorite without Parker, and with her, they become the WNBA’s first superteam.
The 15-year WNBA veteran knows better than to assume a title will come her way, but the possibility of winning her third (she has one with L.A. and one with Chicago), did influence her decision.
"There's a lot teams I've been on that have looked great on paper but you gotta do the work."@Candace_Parker breaks down her decision on joining the Aces pic.twitter.com/hfwrnRmh3H— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 31, 2023
"There's a lot teams I've been on that have looked great on paper but you gotta do the work."@Candace_Parker breaks down her decision on joining the Aces pic.twitter.com/hfwrnRmh3H
“Three definitely sounds better than two,” she said on NBA TV. “But we know the process to get there. There are a lot of teams that I’ve been on that have looked great on paper, but you’ve got to do the work.”
Parker went on to say that she hopes to make the Aces better as a whole, and she’s excited to learn from her new teammates.
“I want that to be my superpower,” she said. “It’s very hard to make A’ja (Wilson) better, because she’s so great. It’s hard to make Kelsey (Plum) better, it’s hard to make Chelsea (Gray) better, Jackie (Young) better, down the line, but I want to do that.”
The Aces lineup now features two former WNBA MVPs in Wilson and Parker, last year’s Finals MVP in Gray, and two players coming off their first All-Star appearances in Plum and Young.
Parker’s decision to join the Aces also reunites her with Gray. They both won a title with the Sparks in 2016. Gray and her wife Tipesa are also godparents to Parker’s son, Airr.