Candace Parker Joins SI to Discuss New ‘Unapologetic’ Documentary, Championships, and Family

Sports Illustrated

WNBA Champion Candace Parker joins SI to discuss her new documentary, her championship experiences, and what her family is up to in this stage of her career.

Transcript

00:00 I am here with the legendary Candice Parker,

00:03 who is about to release Candice Parker Unapologetic.

00:06 It debuts on ESPN on November 12th.

00:08 She gives us an inside look into her journey

00:11 through basketball and life.

00:13 One of the predominant themes of the documentary

00:15 was your relationship with Pat Summitt.

00:17 Can you explain to everyone what she means to you,

00:21 both in your personal and professional life?

00:25 - Coach Pat was like a second mom to me.

00:28 And just through her lessons,

00:31 not just on the court, but off the court,

00:33 I think I continue to parent,

00:35 I continue to be a better partner, daughter,

00:38 all of those things,

00:39 because of the things that I've learned from her.

00:42 She was all about working hard and working smart.

00:45 And she was all about discipline.

00:47 And so I can still hear her say,

00:49 "Discipline yourself so no one else has to."

00:52 And that's a lesson that will always stick with me.

00:54 And I'm sure my daughter's heard it a number of times.

00:57 - You are the first woman to win three WNBA championships.

01:02 Does the last one, the one you just won,

01:04 hold the most significance for you?

01:08 - I think it was the biggest learning curve.

01:10 I got hurt midway through the season,

01:12 and I joined Vegas with the knowledge of like,

01:16 "Hey, listen, y'all won last year.

01:18 You guys can win with or without me,

01:20 but I want to come in and just make things easier."

01:23 And so the way I had envisioned,

01:27 I guess, winning the championship was not in that way.

01:30 But I was extremely like blown away

01:33 by just how amazing a group of an organization,

01:38 of the team, of upper management, of coaches,

01:42 and just how they always rally together

01:44 and they accept you for who you are.

01:46 And battling through adversity is something that I'm used to.

01:50 And just to see them overcome adversity,

01:52 especially in that game four, was unbelievable.

01:56 And so to be a part of it,

01:57 I think it was just a unique view because I wasn't,

02:00 it was the only championship I wasn't on the court for.

02:04 But it really taught me a lot of lessons

02:06 and it was super special to watch

02:08 everyone come together to win.

02:10 - So you and your teammates went to an Usher concert

02:12 after you guys won the title this year?

02:15 - So I was not with my teammates.

02:19 Yeah, I wasn't with my teammates,

02:20 but I saw the viral hits of, you know,

02:23 Usher dancing on Asia.

02:25 - Yeah, I was with my teammates.

02:27 You know, did you miss out?

02:29 (laughs)

02:31 - So I was able to go to the Usher concert last year

02:33 on his birthday.

02:35 Amazing performer.

02:36 If you all have not been to the Usher concert,

02:39 like you're missing out.

02:40 I think it's hilarious just in terms of like,

02:43 seeing the viral hit of him dancing on Asia.

02:46 And, you know, the backstory of it is

02:49 every year Asia's been like,

02:50 "Hey, Usher, come to the championship celebration."

02:53 And so for them to have that moment,

02:56 I thought it was hilarious.

02:58 - Oh my God, were you like cracking up

02:59 when Asia finally got her moment in front of Usher?

03:02 (laughs)

03:04 - Usher has a way, man.

03:06 Usher has a way, it's hilarious.

03:08 - He just does something.

03:10 - Mm-hmm, for sure.

03:12 - So besides being a phenomenal WNBA player,

03:17 you've also been serving as a commentator

03:20 for Turner Sports.

03:21 You've been on it for a few years now.

03:24 What's that like compared to the WNBA?

03:27 - Well, I love, I'm a huge fan of basketball,

03:31 the NBA basketball.

03:32 And so, you know, for me,

03:34 I think it's just a great experience to be able to,

03:38 I think it's the best second job in the world.

03:39 If I'm not playing, I definitely want to talk about it.

03:41 And so to be on television

03:42 and to watch some of your favorite players play

03:45 and to be able to analyze it and break it down.

03:47 And I love it.

03:50 And so it's something I definitely want to do

03:51 for a long time.

03:52 - Yeah, I was going to ask you,

03:54 what's your future looking like in broadcasting?

03:57 - No, I hope to continue to do it.

03:59 I really enjoy it.

04:00 So I'm kind of, you know, doing the studio work now

04:05 with a little bit of games,

04:06 like doing some TV analysts on site at games.

04:10 So I enjoy both of those things.

04:12 - Okay, so now I got to ask you,

04:15 who's your favorite person to work with?

04:17 And tell me why it's Shaq.

04:18 (laughs)

04:19 - Oh my gosh.

04:21 It's so funny.

04:22 I, listen, I have, you know, amazing,

04:25 I call them my big brothers.

04:26 I have amazing big brothers from, you know,

04:29 Isaiah Thomas and Jamal and D Wade

04:32 and Shaq on down the list.

04:36 There's Grant, there's Reggie.

04:38 And so I really enjoy, I think we have a great time.

04:41 And to be honest with you,

04:42 I think it's more so like the relationship we have.

04:44 We keep in touch off the, you know,

04:46 outside the studio, off the court.

04:48 And I think that that's what makes the show

04:50 that much better.

04:52 - Speaking of Wade,

04:53 you talked about him and Kevin Durant in the documentary.

04:58 They helped you out before you joined Chicago.

05:02 What advice did they give you?

05:04 - Well, D Wade and Katie were just like,

05:08 "Don't worry about what other people are going to say."

05:11 Because first they're going to like be mad at your decision.

05:14 And then if you win, they're going to love you.

05:16 And that's exactly what happened.

05:18 So I guess they were like, "Yep."

05:23 - So you mentioned about,

05:25 there's like a big if question, right?

05:26 Are you going to play next season?

05:28 Are you not?

05:29 I know what you said.

05:30 It just depends on the situation.

05:32 How are you feeling today?

05:33 Like, what is your mood today?

05:34 Are you joining?

05:35 Are we going to see you another season?

05:37 - I, you know, I think just health is wealth.

05:40 So for me, if I'm healthy,

05:42 I definitely want to try to play, you know, another year.

05:45 But I can't walk around.

05:47 I can't play in pain.

05:48 And so that's the biggest measurement is, you know,

05:51 whether I can get my body right

05:53 to be able to withstand a full WNBA season.

05:56 - And how are you feeling about that today?

05:59 Like, what is your percentage at in terms of that?

06:02 (laughing)

06:04 - Well, I'm still on my,

06:05 I'm still rehabbing on my citizen workout.

06:08 So I think it's going to be more so towards,

06:10 you know, December, January, when, you know,

06:12 I'm able to get back moving and running

06:14 and pushing off my foot, so.

06:16 - All right.

06:19 One of the biggest takeaways I got from the documentary,

06:22 which is absolutely phenomenal.

06:24 Your love for your kids and your family.

06:27 You raised your first daughter.

06:29 You had, did you even think a second daughter

06:31 would be in the cards?

06:32 And what has it been like with the second kid coming?

06:36 I know it's completely different from the first.

06:38 - Yeah, a hundred percent.

06:40 My kids are, they mean the world to me.

06:43 My daughter, Layla, and my little man, Ayer.

06:47 I think it's just, it's amazing to be a mom

06:49 because you're able to kind of

06:51 see the world through their eyes again.

06:53 And it's just super special.

06:55 I take that role with just so much love and responsibility

07:00 and, you know, kind of different roles, right?

07:04 Like Layla was born at the beginning of my career

07:07 and now Ayer's kind of coming along

07:08 with transitioning out of basketball.

07:10 And so I guess the question now is like,

07:12 will he know me as, you know, Hooper?

07:15 I think that's the biggest thing.

07:17 So he's gonna, when he grows up,

07:19 I don't know if he's gonna be like, mom,

07:21 he's gonna be like, mom, you played basketball?

07:22 That's gonna be the question.

07:23 So I gotta, that's my motivation

07:26 is to play a little bit longer

07:27 so that he can remember seeing his mom play basketball.

07:30 - As a woman in sports,

07:32 what is the biggest advice you can give to young women

07:35 who's trying to go after this type of dream

07:38 and accomplishment?

07:40 - Yeah, be yourself.

07:41 That's the biggest thing.

07:42 And I know it sounds cliche, but lean into that.

07:46 Being authentic is extremely important.

07:48 And I think that the authenticity comes across,

07:51 whether it's in the way that you play,

07:53 whether it's in the way that you broadcast

07:55 or just the way you carry yourself on a daily basis.

07:58 And I think the biggest thing from me as a person,

08:03 also me as, you know, an athlete and a business woman,

08:07 the biggest thing is just leaning into that

08:09 and being authentic in who you are

08:11 and what you believe and what you represent

08:13 and working towards that.

08:15 That's kind of how we came up with the name Unapologetic,

08:17 just because for so long,

08:18 I think being a people pleaser is the lane

08:21 that I tried to lean into.

08:24 And I think it's better when you're able

08:27 to just be unapologetic for who you are

08:29 and for what you love and for who you love.

08:32 - Everyone should definitely check out the documentary.

08:34 You guys, it was phenomenal.

08:36 I'm very impressed.

08:38 Everyone is at will when they see it.

08:41 With that being said, for Sports Illustrated,

08:44 I'm Melissa Amrita here with the legendary Candice Parker.

08:49 And we hope you guys check out the documentary.

08:51 It comes out on ESPN, November 12th.

08:54 And we'll see you guys soon.

08:55 Hopefully we'll see Candice as well.

08:57 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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