Candace Parker: May 2008 Archives

The Washington Post reports that Candace Parker is getting it done for the WNBA already.

So far this season, Los Angeles's season ticket sales more than doubled, and its individual game sales increase fourfold. WNBAstore.com sold more of her jerseys than any other rookie in league history since the draft. Television ratings also are up across the league, with games on ESPN2 experiencing a 44 percent jump and Parker's debut on ABC in the season opener had a 60 percent increase.

Perhaps more impressive, though, is that the Sparks are having an impact on attendance at their road games. It remains to be seen whether those numbers will hold up or whether interest in Parker will translate into broader interest in the league.

Candace Parker became the first player in WNBA history to have five or more points, blocks, rebounds, steals, turnovers and assists in the same game on Thursday night in a double overtime loss at Indiana.

The No. 1 pick in the 2008 draft had 16 points, 16 rebounds, six blocks, five assists and five steals. Parker scored six points in the final minute of the second overtime.

"She's a great talent," Indiana's Katie Douglas, who guarded her for most of the game, said. "She's obviously going to be a star, if not already a star, in this league. She does so many different things -- I've never seen a player like her. She doesn't have to score to play a key role on her team."

Parker also had seven turnovers and shot just 7-for-18 from the field. She went scoreless in the first half.

If you ever wanted to hear Candace Parker belt out her alma mater's school song, here you go. This on-demand performance at a Los Angeles Sparks function shows the Naperville native displaying how important it is to: A) always have on stunna shades so you don't have to look into the eyes of this obviously odd character with the mic, and B) not forget the words to your school song. Especially the "woo!" part.

No, not Candace Parker. Big brother Anthony Parker of the Toronto Raptors had surgery on Wednesday to repair a tendon in his right hand.

According to the Canadian Press report, Parker will wear a cast for three weeks before he can begin rehab. The Naperville Central grad started all 82 games last year and was Toronto's second leading scorer at 12.5 points per game.

Candace Parker made her WNBA debut on Saturday afternoon and lived up to her top billing with 34 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists and road victory in Phoenix.

The Heat Index was going to hash out what media outlets covered the game (L.A. Times, Arizona Republic, etc) and crack wise about the articles. But then I read something about Candace Parker handing out samples of chicken biscuits in South Central.

Give me chicken biscuits or give me death prefereably by chicken biscuit.

From The New York Times.

A team appearance Thursday at a fast-food restaurant in South Central Los Angeles drew only a few fans. Paul DeGuzman of Redondo Beach, wearing a Lakers jersey, asked Parker to sign a ball. "She's awesome," he said. "She's going to be like LeBron James coming into the women's game."

In the parking lot, Parker politely offered samples of chicken biscuits to people who did not recognize her. If she had been in Knoxville, she said, "it would be crazy."

Expect Great.

Candace Parker will make her WNBA debut today (2:30 p.m. on ABC) at Phoenix, but according to this article in the Los Angeles Times, the Naperville Central grad is already getting noticed out and about in L.A.

That will happen a lot, one would think, if she keeps palling around with Lisa Leslie.

Leslie, the Sparks' three-time league most valuable player, and Parker, the team's highly acclaimed rookie, were in a South Bay grocery store shopping for Mother's Day cards and baby food. And then it happened.

"A lot of the people were, like, 'We're really excited about this season, we're going to be at your home opener,' and things like that," Parker said. "We had fun with it.' "

The article also notes that Parker's arrival has increased ticket sales in a big way in Los Angeles and around the WNBA.

In the two weeks after the draft, the Sparks sold seven times the number of season seats that were sold in the same period last year, according to Allison McGowen, the Sparks' chief operating officer.

"Other teams in the league have seen a threefold increase in single-game ticket sales for the games they are playing against the Sparks," she said. "And total new season seats sold so far for the 2008 season is up 10% over total new season seats sold last year."

This television interview that Candace Parker did with "Sports Nite" the week of Tennessee's game at DePaul this past season was posted on Tuesday. Since Parker did not play in the first half of that game because of a team curfew violation, The Heat Index wonders if the Naperville Central grad already knew she would be benched when she did this interview.

Take a look at the WNBA's adverts. I saw them thanks to the SportingBlog, but you can see them at WNBA.com or YouTube as well.

The campaign is called "Expect Great." Other players in the campaign are Cheryl Ford and Tamika Catchings.

Naperville's Parker says this in the 30 second spot.

"I'm sorry, but you couldn't pay me to watch women's basketball. Nothing exciting ever happens. ...
"Look at the WNBA. The league has stayed the same for 10 years. There's no new blood....
"What kind of future does that league have? None that I can see."

At this point, I'm worried about CP3. She's gone all goofy. I mean, I'm the one who wrote the WNBA is doomed, but this is scarry stuff for the No. 1 overall pick to be saying.

That's when the words splash up on the screen to end this madness.

She wouldn't say that. Would You?

Get it? Man that is clever.

The hype for Thursday's WNBA preseason tilt between the Chicago Sky and LA Sparks in Hoffman Estates is pretty much gone because Candace Parker won't be in uniform for the contest - she graduates from the University of Tennessee on Friday morning.

The Naperville Central grad won't be back to the area for a game until June 3, when the Sparks visit the Sky at the UIC Pavilion.

There was a story in the Chicago Tribune on Sunday that discussed the pros and cons, wishes and truths of the fact the WNBA is now giving its new players makeup and fashion advice.

It was not Lisa Leslie or another veteran teaching basketball fundamentals but a cosmetic artist brought in by the league last month to teach the rookies how to arc their eyebrows, apply strokes of blush across their cheekbones and put on no-smudge eyeliner to receive the right attention off the court.

If you have recovered from throwing up in your mouth, let me explain why this means the WNBA is doomed.