WNBA GREAT PARKER CALLS IT A CAREER
Three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker announced Sunday she’s retiring. Parker, a two-time league MVP, announced in a social media post on Sunday she’s ending her career after 16 seasons.
Parker played her first 13 seasons in the league with the Los Angeles Sparks. She became the first player in WNBA history to be named Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the same season when she averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists while helping the Sparks to a 10-win improvement in 2008.
After winning a title last season with the Las Vegas Aces, Parker became the first player in league history to win a championship with three different teams. She had previously won titles with the Sparks (2016) and Chicago Sky (2021).
“I promised I’d never cheat the game & that I’d leave it in a better place than I came into it,” Parker said. “The competitor in me always wants 1 more, but it’s time. My HEART & body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it.”
Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus gave the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony a huge Minnesota feel.
Moore and Augustus helped the Lynx win four WNBA championships in their time with the team.
“I’m hard pressed to think of another dynasty that had a better combination of talent, character, and visible chemistry on the court and the league’s teams that I played for,” Moore said.
Augustus, who peppered her speech with a lot of humour, put it simply: “We like to win and win a lot.”
The pair also led the U.S. to Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016, while Augustus was also part of the 2008 team.
Other inductees included former players Taj Mcwilliams-franklin, who played her final two years with the Lynx, and Rita Gail Easterling; former official Violet Palmer, the first woman to referee an NBA game; and coaches Sue Phillips and Roonie Scovel.
Lyon will play Barcelona in the final of the Women’s Champions League after beating Paris Saint-germain 2-1 in the semifinal second leg and 5-3 on aggregate.
The May 25 final in Bilbao, Spain, will be a rematch of the 2019 and 2022 finals, both won by Lyon, the most successful club in the competition with eight titles. Lyon is the only team still unbeaten in the Women’s Champions League this season.
Arsenal survived a late scare at Tottenham to stay narrowly ahead in the race for the Premier League title on Sunday.
A 3-2 win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ensured Mikel Arteta’s team remained at the top of the standings, ahead of defending champion Manchester City, which won 2-0 at Nottingham Forest.
Arsenal is one point clear at the top, having played one game more than City.