LA Sparks forward Candace Parker is the league MVP:
Expectations for a No. 1 overall draft pick often exceed reality. That’s not the case for Sparks forward Candace Parker. She was better.
Tonight, one day after accepting WNBA rookie of the year honors, Parker is expected to be named the league’s most valuable player. The announcement will come during Game 2 of the WNBA finals in San Antonio and it will make her the first WNBA player to win both awards, regardless of the year.
In one year, Candace Parker was a senior was a junior at the University of Tennessee and won a national championship, graduated from college, won a gold medal on the basketball team at Beijing, was the number one draft pick in the WNBA, won Rookie of the Year, and now is being named the league MVP.
Short of curing cancer and fixing the economy with a spectacular jump shot, next year is going to be a let down.
Notorious P.A.T.
Go Shock!
cmohr
She could spoil it by deciding to run for public office. That sometimes brings out more information about a person noted for sports fame than you really wanted to know. For example, famous 60s runner (held world record in mile for a time) Jim Ryan of Kansas – is a rabidly wingnut congressperson now. Even Charles Barkley (ex-NBA star) was for several years a showcase black Republican, before he more recently came to his senses and switched sides (he’s an Obama backer).
Punchy
Paul L. just called and said he wants to know how this’ll affect teh Duke lacrosse team.
By the way, what’s the team mascot look like for a team called the Shock? A very pale faced guy bleeding profusely? A giant electrical cord with a bad plug? A two-team combo of a bathtub and a hairdryer?
Michael D.
Be proud West Virgina!
smiley
She’s also very attractive… but can she field dress a moose?
Comrade The Moar You Know
Michael D. is on it. John, you got some local folks out there you can be real proud of.
Adam
She’s also, like, super-hot…
fish
That should land her a sweet, 4 figure salary.
Jamey
It’s women’s basketball. Who. Gives. A. Fuck.
Shygetz
As a proud Vol, all I can say is…damn you Michael Phelps! If it wasn’t for him, Candice should be a shoo-in for Athlete of the Year.
Jasper
Kind of like….women’s swimming?
Nah, for some reason that I can’t figure, some people really HATE women’s basketball. Curious. It’s a game played for entertainment only, just like men’s basketball, or baseball, so why the hate?
She is an incredible athlete, there’s no doubt about that.
Comrade Grand Panjandrum
@Adam: Whoa. I’m going to watch a few more games now.
Mike
on the other hand, after watching her remarks at the NCAA tournament, I thought she was a first class jerk. Not unusual in athletes, but she was the most ungracious one I’ve seen.
smiley
Apparently enough people to justify keeping the league going.
As a proud Gator, I think Dara Torres might’ve given her a run for her money.
rawshark
Candace is a babe. It’s odd seeing that baby doll face hovering 7 feet off the floor though.
burnspbesq
And now she can start to focus on the wedding. She and Shelden are quite the attractive couple. Even though Coach G wasn’t able to recruit her, she will ultimately be a Dookie, at least by marriage.
slip
So it goes…
tinat
LOL, she and Sheldon are an attractive couple?
ah no, she is attractive and Sheldon is rich :O
Candace is an excellent player but I don’t think she was MVP of the league…I guess media visibilty helps get votes.
DrDave
Candace Parker thinks she is Kenny Morrow.
...now I try to be amused
Reddy Kilowatt, of course. ;)
Blue Raven
It’s not whether I like women’s basketball. I like REAL women’s basketball. The WNBA plays with softened rules and a smaller ball because the women are somehow too fragile to play the game for real. I was an ABL fan. The WNBA trumped them because of the last three letters in the league’s name and continues to survive because of those letters. The NBA blocked the ABL from getting decent TV contracts. I will not give the WimpNBA any of my money or deliberate eyeballs. They’re a walking example of theft, corporate greed, and sports sexism.
ricky
If Jake Tapper wrote this he would note you failed to point out her coach dislocated her shoulder while defending a pet from an attacking raccoon.
And all this time I thought you were from West Va. and knew the important stuff.
ricky
At the risk of obscure VP references, its is a little known fact that the first "Shock" mascot was not Tom Eagleton.
If given the choice between one Barracuda and two Mavericks, I’d take the Plymouth any day.
b-psycho
Of course it helps that, for her sport, she’s oddly attractive. The only female basketball player for whom I’d remotely consider saying "y’know what? I’d hit that".