WNBA Chicago Sky power forward basketball player Candace Parker’s legacy as one of the greatest WNBA players of all time is set.
Candace, who is the first woman to appear on the cover of an "NBA 2K" video game, was much more athletic and had so much more knowledge of the game from a very young age.
Considered one of the top 10 highest-paid female athletes of 2022 by Forbes magazine, Candace has subsequently become one of the most successful LGBTQ athletes in sports history.
Is Candace Parker Gay?
Candace Parker is indeed part of the LGBTQ community and is happily married to her partner Anna Petrakova.
Her wife Anna is a Russian basketball player who was a part of the Russian women’s national basketball team at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Candace and her partner kept their love story quiet away from the media until their 2nd anniversary.
As her fans were curious “Who is Candace Parker married to?”, she gave insights into her relationship through her social media posts.
The duo provided the dual news of their marriage and pregnancy news of her partner, Anna, at the same time via Candace's Instagram post on 15th December 2021.
Candace shared how she and her wife Anna got married in front of their close friends and family 2 years ago and their journey hasn’t been easy.
Yet, they’ve constantly supported each other and dreamed of growing their family.
The duo then welcomed a baby boy on 11th February 2022.
Candace announced on Instagram that they were blessed with their son Airr Larry Petrakov.
She showed absolute love and utter appreciation for the baby and her family through the caption of the post.
Candace Parker is now a mother of 2 children in total: one her newly born son with her wife Anna and a daughter Lailaa with her former husband Shelden.
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Who Is Candace Parker's Ex-Husband?
Prior to Anna, Candace Parker was married to ex-NBA player and Duke star Shelden Williams for nearly 8 years.
The duo exchanged wedding vows on 13th November 2008.
After one year of their marriage, the couple was blessed with their first child, a baby girl on 13th May 2009. They named their daughter Lailaa Nicole Williams.
The duo separated in August 2016 but news of their divorce surfaced in the media back in September 2016 where the divorce documents cited irreconcilable differences.
After their divorce Candace and her former husband even divided the profits they received after selling their former home in Encino, CA at around $3.75 million.
Sheldon asked for joint custody of their daughter and their divorce was finalized in April 2018.
While Candace has now moved on with her wife Anna Petrakova, Sheldon has kept his relationship status private.
He is not found to be married again and his social media posts show no sign of his romantic partner.
However, Sheldon is often seen posting about his daughter Lailaa and his podcast.
He is the host of the podcast Bleav in Duke.
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Candace Parker's Parents & Siblings
Candace was born on 19th April 1986 as the youngest child of parents Natasha Parker and Larry Parker.
Her birth name is Candace Nicole Parker. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and later raised in Naperville, Illinois.
Candace has two elder siblings both brothers namely Anthony Parker and Marcus Parker.
According to Candace Parker’s wiki, she hails from a family full of athletes as her father Larry was a college basketball player who played for the University of Iowa.
After completing his University Candace’s dad was a basketball coach for nearly 12 years.
Likewise, her brother Anthony is a former NBA shooting guard/ small forward and her other brother Marcus played basketball in high school.
Anthony announced his retirement on 27th June 2012 whereas Marcus is now a doctor.
Salary & Net Worth
The WNBA player Candace Parker’s net worth in 2024 is estimated to be around $8.1 million.
She has signed a 2-year $385 contract with the Chicago Sky which includes an average salary of about $192,500 and her base salary in 2022 is around $195,000.
She also earns around $200,000 from brand endorsements and her partnered brands are Adidas, Band-Aid, Capital One, and CarMax.
The primary source of her income is basketball. Her salary/winnings are estimated to be around $100,000.
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Short Wiki
- Candace went to Naperville Central High School and later attended the University of Tennessee.
- As a kid, Candace excelled in multiple sports including football, volleyball, and basketball. Candace started playing basketball at a young age when she was in sound 5th and 6th grades. Later, she was coached by her father in every position.
- Candace was first drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks as the first pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft.
- The 2 time WNBA champion and 7 times WNBA All-Star Candace holds American nationality.
- Talking about the height of Candace, she is 6 feet and 4 inches (1.93m) tall, and her listed weight is 184 lb (83 kg).
