Over a decade WBNA career and still going strong! The two-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time WNBA All-Star reputed for her defensive prowess is proudly taking her place on the cover of the WNBA 25th Anniversary Special Edition of NBA 2K22, which will be released on September 10th. The Chicago Sky star Parker will become the first WNBA player to grace the cover of NBA 2K in the GameStop Exclusive edition.
“Extremely proud and humbled to be the first female cover athlete in the history of @NBA2K
I’M HONORED TO WORK WITH A COMPANY THAT’S INVESTING IN WOMEN AND BETTING ON US TO SUCCEED. I’M HOPEFUL THERE WILL BE MANY MORE BADASS FEMALES TO FOLLOW ????
— Candace Parker wrote on Twitter.
“I grew up a video game fanatic, that’s what I did, to the point where my brothers would give me the fake controller when I was younger where I think I was playing and I wasn’t,” Parker tells ESPN. “All I wanted to do was just be like them. As a kid growing up, you dream of having your own shoe and dream of being in a video game. Those are an athlete as a kid’s dreams. To be able to experience that, I don’t take it lightly.”
“I think it’s a benchmark of women’s basketball for sure,” Parker told the Associated Press about her NBA 2K opportunity. “I think most importantly it speaks to visibility and how important it is and how important the WNBA is…Now more than ever, fans want to follow the athlete. Through social media, through video games, it’s adding and benefiting the WNBA.”
Meanwhile NBA legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kevin Durabt and Dirk Nowitzk will grace the cover of the NBA 75th Anniversary Edition.
In 2008, Parker became the only player in league history to win MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season.
According to Parker, starting in the WNBA in 2008, she might not have appreciated it as much as she does now.
“I think when you’re young and experience these type of things, you’re onto the next thing,” she said. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve savored the moment.”
