LOS ANGELES -- One of the greatest WNBA players ever will see her number up in the rafters of Crypto.com Arena this summer.

According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, two-time Most Valuable Player Candace Parker's #3 will get retired by the L.A. Sparks on June 29th during their game against, ironically enough, the Chicago Sky. Parker went to the Sky in 2021 and immediately won her second of three championship rings.

But this is about her career with the Sparks. Parker had a celebrated college career as she won two NCAA titles with Tennessee. She also won two Most Outstanding Player awards to go along with those championships. Los Angeles picked her with the first overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft. She made an immediate impact as she won the Rookie of the Year and her first Most Valuable Player award, making her the first and only WNBA player in history to win both awards in the same season.

In 2013, she would win her second MVP award and All-Star game MVP honors earlier that summer. She finally won her first WNBA championship in 2016 after a thrilling five-game series with the Minnesota Lynx. Parker would win Finals MVP.

The next season, Parker would be the sixth player to achieve a triple-double in the WNBA. In her final season with the Sparks (the Wubble in 2020), she would win Defensive Player of the Year. Parker left Los Angeles and would go on to win two more championships before retiring right before the 2024 campaign.

“Candace Parker has left an indelible mark on the Los Angeles Sparks, not only as one of the greatest players to ever grace the court, but as a true ambassador of our franchise and women’s basketball as a whole. Beginning with her arrival to the City of Angels in 2008, she not only lived up to the expectations placed on her as a two-time Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year and NCAA National Champion, she far exceeded them. Her unparalleled skill, relentless drive, and leadership elevated the Sparks to new heights and set a new standard of greatness,” said Sparks Co-Owner Earvin “Magic” Johnson. “Candace is the best all-around player that has ever played in the WNBA. Her legacy is immeasurable — she redefined excellence, was a champion on the court and for the Los Angeles community and inspired countless fans and future generations of athletes. Very few champions get to see their jersey hanging from the rafters in this city. Retiring Candace’s No. 3 jersey is not just a celebration of her extraordinary career, but a tribute to the enduring mark she's left on this organization, the WNBA, and the city of Los Angeles. She will forever be a part of the Sparks family."

Parker is atop a lot of categories in Sparks franchise history (first in assists, second in rebounds, second in blocks, third in steals, second in points). Her presence and impact are undeniable. A ten-time All-WNBA player, she's one of the greatest to ever put on a WNBA uniform and with the league having a popularity surge, she will be looked at as one of the players that built the W into what it is today. 

She was named to the WNBA 20th Anniversary team in 2016 and then the 25th Anniversary team in 2021. Parker averaged 16.9 points, 8.6 boards, 3.9 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game in her Los Angeles tenure. Parker even led the league in assists in 2015.

And now, the Sparks will honor her legacy and retire her number on June 29th.