All eyes were on Candace Parker on Sunday as the Chicago Sky forward helped her team win against the Washington Mystics. Most notably, the forward made history as the oldest WNBA player to get a triple-double — the second in her career — when she raked up 16 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, The Source reports.
According to The New York Times, Parker completed the triple-double in the game’s final moments with an assist to Courtney Vandersloot. Parker said after the game that Vandersloot was insistent on Parker completing the final assist to get the triple-double.
“She was adamant about me getting my 10th assist,” Parker said at a news conference, according to the Times. “So you know that’s why I love this group. You know, I think we play for another, we get hype for others’ successes and we celebrate it, and I think that’s huge.”
In 2021, Vandersloot joined Sheryl Swoopes as the only players in WNBA history with multiple triple-doubles.
Parker told ESPN how much the achievement means to her.
“It means a lot,” she said, according to the outlet. “To be in the company of Sloot, who is going to end her career probably leading the league in assists, and then Sheryl Swoopes — I grew up watching her play, and just idolizing her.”
“I’ve always [been] the person who was like, ‘Posts can dribble, too, and posts can pass, too,'” she continued. “I hope that coaches are watching. I hope that the game is evolving. We’re gonna see more and more triple-doubles.”
Parker had an impressive season, averaging 14 points and 8 rebounds, as well as shooting 49.1% from the field, the Times reports.
The athlete was close to retiring after a triumphant 2021 season. According to ESPN, the Chicago Sky player told Kristen Ledlow on NBA TV’s WNBA Weekly that her daughter Lailaa pushed her to play in the 2022 season.
“We were driving home from my daughter’s basketball practice and she was like, ‘Mom, I think you should play another year. You know, run it back,'” Parker said on the show, according to ESPN. “And I don’t know, it’s just something about now my son [Airr, who was born in February] being able to be at the games and see his mom play and just my family being able to be there. It’s really cool to be in Chicago, even outside of basketball, like to be able to go over to my dad’s house and have dinner. My mom cooks pregame for me, to see my family and friends, my high school best friend. I mean, it’s just really nice being back.”
