Ladies Court - Women’s Basketball News and Analysis

Will this woman save the WNBA?

by Joe on December 17th, 2007

According to Kurt Streeter of the Los Angeles Times: Yes.

The columnist went to Knoxville to find out more about the likely #1 draft pick upcoming for the Los Angeles Sparks.

(By the way, that’s a scary team next season if Parker declares and is drafted).

She is the most dominant player in college basketball. Yes, you read right — she. As in Candace Parker, 21 years old, a 6-foot-4 athlete so superbly multidimensional that she is listed as a forward/center/guard for the University of Tennessee Lady Vols.

Paradoxically, though, college basketball, highlighted by a 2007 women’s player-of-the-year award and an NCAA championship, might be the high point of her athletic career. Here in Knoxville, she plays in front of sellout crowds. She is in magazines and on national TV, and people care. Wherever she goes, people turn, gape or walk up and wish her well.

Parker’s next step will be the pros, probably in Los Angeles, and life will be different.

One of the best parts of this column is Streeter’s ability to paint Parker as the future of women’s basketball — something she understands will be thrust upon her — but my favorite bit is the last few grafs, of which I’ll let you read on your own. As many magazine covers as she’s been on and you’re quickly reminded she’s like many of us were our junior and senior years of college.

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