WNBA legend Candace Parker joked about her sexuality during her Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame induction speech at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts on Saturday.
The 40-year-old three-time Women's National Basketball Association champion was enshrined alongside fellow female basketball trailblazers Elena Delle Donne and Chamique Holdsclaw.
Reflecting on her career on the court, Parker drew shocked cheers from the audience when she made a wry reference to her personal life during her acceptance speech.
"I changed teams both literally and figuratively," Parker said with a small chuckle.
Parker began her professional basketball career in Los Angeles after being selected by the Sparks with the first overall pick in the 2008 WNBA draft. She went on to play for the Chicago Sky and the Las Vegas Aces, winning a WNBA championship at every stop on her journey around the league.
Candace Parker Career and Personal Life
Parker married Shelden Williams, who played college basketball at Duke University and later played in the NBA, in November 2008 shortly after being drafted. The couple welcomed their daughter, Lailaa, in 2009 before divorcing in 2016 following eight years of marriage, with Williams citing irreconcilable differences in his filing.
In 2021, Parker publicly came out as a lesbian when she announced that she had secretly married former basketball player Anna Petrakova two years prior. Petrakova gave birth to their son, Airr, in February 2022, and the couple welcomed their second son, Hartt, in 2024.
Hall of Fame Class of 2026
Parker carried a basketball up to the podium for her speech as part of the 2026 Hall of Fame class. The enshrined class also included the 1996 US Olympic women's basketball team, Holdsclaw, former NBA player Amar'e Stoudemire, longtime NBA official Joey Crawford, NBA head coaches Doc Rivers and Mike D'Antoni, and Gonzaga University head coach Mark Few.
Addressing the basketball directly on stage, Parker reflected on their journey together.
"It felt weird to walk on the stage without the reason I'm here today," Parker said, talking to the ball. "We did a lot together: dunk on UConn at UConn, shimmied over our right shoulder and hit that sick fadeway, had our own signature shoe, first woman to grace the cover of NBA2K... We stand on this podium as first-ballot Hall of Famers."
Parker, who won three WNBA titles, two league MVP awards, two national championships at the University of Tennessee, and two Olympic gold medals, broke down while closing her address. She said that "we were meant to be a love story that began 27 years ago."
Elena Delle Donne Honors Sister Lizzie
Elena Delle Donne also used her acceptance speech as a love letter to basketball, addressing the ups and downs she experienced throughout her career. She explained that she kept her life in perspective thanks to her older sister, Lizzie, who is blind and deaf.
"She never played in front of thousands of people, never had a standing ovation, never been interviewed after a big win. Yet I've never met anyone stronger," Delle Donne said, choking up. "Thank you all for keeping me going."
Delle Donne earned WNBA Most Valuable Player awards in 2015 and 2019, securing her second MVP while leading the Washington Mystics to their only WNBA championship. She became the first player in league history to shoot over 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range, and 90 percent from the free-throw line in a single season.
Chamique Holdsclaw Remembers Pat Summitt
Chamique Holdsclaw thanked her former teammates and coaches during her induction speech. She was best known for leading the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers to three consecutive national championships from 1996 to 1998, becoming the first team in women's college basketball history to accomplish the feat under Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt.
Summitt died in 2016 following a battle with Alzheimer's disease.
"One person that I wish was here as my presenter was my demanding and wonderfully supporting college coach, Pat Summitt," Holdsclaw said. "The one and only. Coach Summitt allowed me to grow as a player and person. I miss her dearly."
Holdsclaw's 1998 Tennessee squad posted an undefeated 39-0 record, setting an NCAA record for the most victories in a season at that time. Holdsclaw went on to enjoy an 11-year career in the WNBA. She also thanked the 1996 US Olympic team during her speech, noting that she had posters of their players on her bedroom wall while in high school.
