Candace Parker keeps shutting down insane disrespect

It’s kind of ridiculous how many times Candace Parker has been overlooked and disrespected in recent years. Every time it happens, the Tennessee Lady Vols legend shuts it down the next season, and that happened again Sunday.

This past offseason, Parker joined the Chicago Sky after the Los Angeles Sparks, whom she spent 13 years with and led to a WNBA Title in 2016, became very obvious about a youth movement and a willingness to move on from its veterans. All she did was lead her hometown franchise to the WNBA Championship despite going 16-16 in the regular season.

Although she didn’t win her second WNBA Finals MVP, Candace Parker was a star. She averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.25 steals and 0.75 blocks. The late Pat Summitt would be proud of the defense and rebounds, and Parker made sure to honor her again with the win.

Being disrespected by the Sparks and humiliating them the next season is just he most recent example of Parker having to shut down critics. This has been an ongoing issue dating back to 2016, and she keeps having to do it.

That year, Parker was already a two-time WNBA MVP and gold medalist, but she hadn’t yet won a ring, and there was talk that she would never win one. To make matters worse, UConn Huskies coach Geno Auriemma was coaching the Olympics that year, and he brazenly decided to leave Parker off the team, a mark of pettiness very few people have ever shown.

Well, all Parker did that year was lead the Sparks to the WNBA Championship and earn WNBA Finals MVP in one of the most clutch performances ever seen. That season alone certified her, but people weren’t done throwing disrespect in her direction.

Three years after that season, a confidential poll of WNBA players conducted by The Athletic named Parker the most overrated player in the league. Yes, Candace Parker was considered overrated by WNBA stars, an insane level of disrespect. She was also benched in an elimination game in the playoffs that same month, and the Sparks lost.

How did Parker respond? Well, she went out and won WNBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2020. Somehow, though, she was left off the All-Star team and all the WNBA All-Defensive Teams that year, and she still hasn’t yet made a WNBA All-Defensive First Team.

So despite being the best defender a year after being named the most overrated player, Parker got no other recognition for it, and the Sparks then let her go. Not only did she help lead the Sky to the title, but she also got back to the All-Star game.

Simply put, despite proving herself time and time again, dating back to leading the Tennessee Lady Vols to two straight national titles in college, Candace Parker still has to fend off massive levels of disrespect. She did it again Sunday, though, and in the process, she made all of Rocky Top proud.