Back in 2009, American basketball player Candace Parker made an appearance in ESPN the Magazine‘s Body Issue while she was pregnant with her daughter, Lailaa Nicole Williams. In 2012, Candace returned to show off her sleek yet muscular figure and unbelievably long legs for ESPN’s cameras.

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Men are obviously going to enjoy her pictorial, since she is a gorgeous lady. You might think that she’d be a tom boy, given all that basketball and training. But no, she is really an inspirational figure, for women in particular. This is because retraining the body after nine months of pregnancy can be quite a struggle, let alone when you are training to return to a professional sport such as basketball, which is known to require a great deal of wear and tear on the body.

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Candace Parker managed to get back in shape, though, and you can see that from the pictures in this article. The 26-year-old shared with an ESPN reporter the rigors of returning to training after having a baby. This is what she said:

“The adjustment was very difficult. If you took nine months off, even without having a baby and gaining 35 pounds, it would be tough. Your body changes, your hips change, everything is different. I started working out maybe two weeks after I had my daughter—light jogging, court work, a lot of core—to get my muscle memory back. After my first workout, I was so sore I couldn’t go back the next day. I set goals, such as dunking four or five weeks after I had her, just to keep myself motivated and working hard.”

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When asked why did she decide to pose for the Body Issue, Candace said: “I thought it would be fun and a great opportunity — especially since last time I was on the cover, I was pregnant. It’s nice to see the body transform. I hope I can send a message that if you work hard, you can come back just as good as before.“

The video below is another proof of how toned and fit she is. Candace Parker rose to fame after becoming the first female to ever dunk in the NCAA Tournament and the second player to dunk in the WNBA. She is also one of the best all-round ballers women’s basketball has ever seen.

Throughout her career, Parker managed to win two Wooden Awards and a Naismith Award at Tennessee. Then, the baller took the WNBA by storm in 2008, when she joined the Los Angeles Sparks and won both the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards.

It is a shame that her pregnancy and battles with injuries have limited her career since. Nevertheless, Candace Parker remains one of the most compelling talents in the WNBA to this day. And we couldn’t help but notice that she is also one of the most beautiful players in the league, sporting one of the most toned figures.

Candace Parker is a name that you are bound to recognize! This is the woman that managed to change the face of basketball by making female leagues more appealing to sports enthusiasts. With the fame that she gained, through her talent and skills, Candace Parker was noticed by more and more industry developers. Aside from being an amazing basketball player, her looks and appeal have been worthy of notice as well. That is the perfect combination for brands looking to create a special product for a certain athlete and that is how Candace Parker ended up working with Adidas.

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The TS Ace Commander is the only signature model released by Adidas specially for women basketball players. The design of these shoes has been developed from the collaboration of Candace Parker and Adidas creators. The result: one of the most colorful, fun and useful shoes that women basketball players will want to wear. Although the model has been released on the market several years ago, it is still one that gathers a lot of attention and a lot of shoppers.

Candace Parker was the main designer of the shoe, as she was supposed to combine the elements of style with the ones related to comfort and to the needs she has on the court. The basic model comes in purple, yellow and white combined, but there are other color variants as well. In relation to this, Candace Parker says that she likes her shoes to be bright and colorful.

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In terms of the general design, there are a few noticeable features:

• midfoot straps – for ankle support that is definitely needed by women basketball players;
• comfortable support is insured with the smaller gap between the foot and the shoe with the help of the strap;
• the name of the shoe stands to represent her as well, due to the fact that her nickname is “Ace”;
• extra foamed heeled shoes – more support and comfort for the hole foot;
• CLIMACOOLA system – placed in the sole of the shoe, this system insures a full on cooling of the foot.

The combination of Adidas’s experience and technique in the creation of sports shoes with Candace Parker’s need for special female basketball player gear and her design tastes has lead to the creation of this amazing piece that any woman would love to wear, whether it is for playing sports, for their looks or for both.

Candace Parker has once again impressed with her amazing performance in a game with the Sparks. Even though after the Olympic break the star has experienced some fatigue, it seems that Candace is once again is a perfect shape.

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Candace Parker scored no less than 23 points and 10 rebounds in Sparks’ Friday night victory against the Connecticut Sun. The game which took place on September 14, was won by Candace’s team with 93-82. During the same game, Kristi Toliver added 18 points for the Sparks.

This is the just one of the newest records Candace Parker set for the Sparks. According to Washington Post, the star declared that “We just want to continue to get better going into the playoffs.” “I know I myself haven’t played so well since the break and my teammates have done a good job of (supporting me) and continuing to believe in me and continue to give me motivation,” she added.

Candace Parker also claimed that she never wanted to admit weakness, but maybe she is a little bit tired. “I’ve been playing basketball since October. It’s been a year. You hit that wall and then you build your way back up,” she said. “Hopefully, I’m on the way back up,” the star added.

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And it seems that Candace really is on her way back up, as the star has scored no less than 26 points and 11 rebounds in the Los Angeles Sparks latest victory. The game took place on Tuesday night and the Sparks won with 101-76 against the Phoenix Mercury.

Despite this victory, Candace said that “I don’t think you can ever breathe easy in the playoffs.” “I think it’s like a win-or-go home, especially with the playoff format,” she added. The star claimed that the team has a lot of confidence, but there still is a lot of work to do.

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In both games, Candace had an impressive performance. Each time the star made a great game, which brought the Sparks two important victories.

Everybody is hyped up about the upcoming Olympic Games held in London. The US women’s basketball team is aiming for the fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal. In 2008, the US team moved one step closer to be one of the greatest Olympic outfits, winning by an average margin of 38 points per game. The US squad includes seven players who have already been to the Olympics and won gold medals. Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Tamika Catchings are all trying for a third straight golf medal, while Candace Parker, Sylvia Fowles and Seimone Augustus won gold in Beijing.

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 The head coach of the team is very confident in his team, saying that these girls have the opportunity of becoming the greatest Olympic teams of all time. These female players have the depth, experience and youth to make it on the podium, with the gold medal around their neck.

While the biggest rivals of the US team, the Australians, have been training for months, the Americans have only been training together for a short period of time, and they feel better and stronger than ever, ready to face their challengers. They had a three day training camp in Seattle in May and then will spend two weeks together before their first match against the team of Croatia.

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Until the final qualification round, the US and the Australian team would not meet, since they are in different groups. One of the American female basketball players says that there is indeed a pressure among her and her peers, that determines the girls to fight for the Olympic title even more. They are so determined, that any other result than gold is considered a failure.

US basketball team member, Maya Moore says that the pressure and the high expectations are all part of the game. Getting the chance to test their strength and sports abilities are part of the fun. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for these girls and hope for a fifth Olympic gold medal!

Candace Parker is one of the best American basketball players, born April 19, 1986 and her brother, Anthony Parker, is also a famous NBA player. Candace attended the University of Tennessee and later, due to her incredible results, she was selected as the number 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. Moreover, she was the first woman in the WNBA to win both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player, which was a huge and a very important achievement. Recently, she named a finalist for the 2102 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team and also participated in many sports events, being known all around the world.

When she began her second rookie season, she gave birth to her daughter, Lailaa Nicole William in 2009. This was a very difficult moment as she had to juggle the birth of her daughter and the rigors and rules of WNBA play and even though she missed eight games due to the birth of her daughter, she led the WNBA in double-doubles. She is married to NBA player Shelden William who now plays for the Denver Nuggets. Parker is devoted to her career, but she also likes to spend time with her family, friends and two dogs. She also likes cooking, watching football and her favorite show is The Game. Additionally, she also likes competing in almost everything.

Candace Parker hopes that she will become a television broadcaster and one of the celebrities she admires are Oprah Winfrey and Robin Roberts. Lady Vol and current Indiana Fever All-Star Tamika Catchings, as well as Tina Thompson are players that she looks up to. Candace Parker is the youngest of Larry and Sara Parker’s three children and her older brothers are also famous players in the NBA. She is also a very beautiful woman, charming and adorable. Due to her great body and winning attitude, Candace appeared in many commercials and she is now worldwide known. The United States of America take pride in having such a valuable basketball player that is a role model for the next generations. Parker is a wonderful woman, having a successful career and a happy family, but even now, she still involves in a lot of projects, which is incredible.

Candace Parker is a All-American basketball player, who was born April 19, 1986. Candance is the sister of Anthony Parker, a popular NBA player. Parker attended the University of Tennessee and is also known as one of the first women to dunk in an NCAA tournament and to dunk twice in a college game. Candance is not only talented and a great basket player, but she is also a very beautiful and charming woman. Her mother works for the front office of the Chicago Sky and her father is a business insurance agent. She liked playing basketball since she was little and all her family loved this sport as well. That was only the beginning of a wonderful and successful career. She started to be known for her talent in high school, but later, her career expanded very much and she became one of the most popular and appreciated sports personalities in the world.

Candace is known for her ambition while playing, but also for her great strategy and techniques. During college years, her career was even more developed and she was also the Southern Conference Rookie of the Year. Later, she was selected as the first pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft.

Related to her personal life, Candace Parker married her fiancé, Shelden Williams in 2008. Her husband was a basketball start and current player for the Brooklyn Nets. On 13 May, 2009, she gave birth to a baby girl named Lailaa Nicole Williams. Candace Parker has two dogs and her favourite movies are He Got Game and Love and Basketball. She also received many awards such as Most Valuable Player Award, All WNBA Team Number and many others. She deserves a lot of respect as she sacrificed her childhood and her leisure time to become a successful basketball player. She was also named Academic All-American 2007–08 by the ESPN magazine, due to her 3.55 GPA. Candace managed what many women only dream of: she has a wonderful career and also a happy family life. Plus, she is one of the most popular sports celebrities in the world and is also appreciated for her playing techniques and speed. 

If you are passionate about basketball, then you have definitely heard of Candace Parker. Candace Parker is an all-American basketball player for the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks and UMMC Ekaterinburg of Russia. 2008 was a year of firsts for Candace Parker. She was selected as the number 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks, she was the first woman in the WNBA to win both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player. Candace Parker also captured her first Olympic Gold Medal at the Summer Games in Beijing. Entering a new year, Candace Parker had another special first to look forward to. In the spring of 2009, Candace Parker and her husband Shelden Williams of the Sacramento Kings expected their first child.

Candace Parker had a wide range of impressive achievements. She nearly averaged a double double her rookie season and she led the WNBA in rebounds. She earned the 2008 WNBA Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Player award marking the first time in the WNBA’s 12 seasons that a rookie has won MVP. Parker won back to back NCAA championships with the Lady Vols in 2007 and 2008. Candace Parker led the team in scoring and rebounding during her final season at Tennessee.

Candace Parker grew up in Chicago adoring the Chicago Bulls and was a Michael Jordan fan. Her all time favourite player is Ron Harper, of whom she has a picture hanging in her bedroom. She has two dogs: a St. Bernard mix named Fendi and a pug named Nino, who is named after a character in the movie New Jack City. Parker’s favourite movies are Love and Basketball and He Got Game. She also likes to listen to Disney soundtracks such as The Little Mermaid and watch Full House and The Cosby Show. Candace Parker continued to be the best in basketball and is still an important name in basketball. Candace Parker is very popular with the fans.

Candace Parker should be an inspiration to all women. Through the skills and techniques developed by the young basketball player, the world could see a woman on the verge of making it into the big leagues. Candace Parker is highly appreciated and known in the world of basketball, making it clear that she is here to stay and that many more good things will come in her future career. All these facts have been tested out and confirmed through the records gained by Candace Parker and through the awards she has received throughout her career so far. The trophies received are a testament of her value in the world of sports and of her importance for the field of basketball.

The awards issued for Candace Parker started to come ever since she played in the basketball league for her high school. The talents and the sporting skills of the young athlete made an impression on people ever since, showing that she was on the road to something great from the start. In addition to winning many awards with her team, Candace Parker won some trophies for herself, such as: Getorade Illinois State Player of the Year (2002-2004), Illinois Miss Basketball (2002-2004), Naismith Prep Player of the Year (2003-2004), USA Today High School Player of the Year (2003-2004) and so on. The list of trophies won during her time spent in college is even longer. Candace Parker won 17 awards in her junior year, 10 as a sophomore and 11 as a freshman.

The most important trophies gained are the ones for records and from the WNBA. The records attributed to Candace Parker are the following: 1st WNBA player to win WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season, 1st WNBA player to dunk in consecutive games and most points scored (34) by a rookie in her debut. Also by the WNBA, the awards given to Candace Parker are: 2008 Most Valuable Player Award, 2008 Rookie of the Year Award, 2008 AP Female Athlete of the Year, 2008 All-WNBA Team member and 2008 WNBA All-Rookie Team member.

Candace Parker is a very famous American basketball player. The star was born on April 19, 1986, in St. Louis, Missouri. She managed to achieve fame and worldwide recognition only due to her great talent and impressive skills in playing this game. However, Candace Parker has also become known as the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game.

Candace Parker started to love basketball at a very young age, the player actually growing a family that loved this sport. There is no wonder after all that Candace Parker started to play herself at an early age. The star’s father also was a basketball player, playing at the University of Iowa. Candace Parker has many times claimed that when she started playing basketball, she feared that would not be capable to reach the playing skills of her father and brother. She has surely shown that she can play basketball at the most advanced and impressive level. In her early years of playing this game, Candace Parker was actually couched by her dad, who was really harsh on her, the star said.

Candace Parker stared to play basketball in high school. And her high school team has actually managed to win a series of state titles, Candace Parker becoming a true star of the team. Candace Parker is the only basketball player who has managed to win two times the USA Today Player of the Year award, both in 2003 and 2004. In collage, Candace Parker was part of the University of Tennessee basketball team. And she was the only collage player to be named in the USA national squad to participate at the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women, in Brazil. In 2008, Candace Parker was selected by the Los Angeles Sparks. She made her debut for the team that same year, in a game against the Phoenix Mercury. There is no doubt in the fact that Candace Parker has managed to develop a very successful career in this spot. And the player surely deserves all the credit for her amazing talent and hard work.