Candace Parker left the WNBA in good hands. It's obvious to say so, given the positive news that has been coming from the women's league in recent weeks.
We can start with attendance, which is at a record level, then continue with rookies like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, who are highlighted and who generate great media interest. The proof is in the exploding TV rights. We must not forget that new franchises will arrive (Golden State in 2025 and Toronto in 2026). Finally, there is talk of more matches during the regular season in the years to come.
The WNBA is exploding this year
The former player, retired for almost three months, with an impressive track record, can only be delighted to see the WNBA take on new dimensions.
“I don't want to have the veteran's speech, saying that 'in my time'… Nevertheless, in my time, we went to the hall, and for the media, we were there for four hours, in front of maybe ten people, in 2012 or 2013,” she remembers comparing the All-Star Game of a decade ago and the 2024 edition in Phoenix. “We were at Mohegan Sun (the venue in Connecticut that has hosted the All-Star Game several times) and I don't know if some people know. But we didn't see the light for three days, we played our match and we left. There was nothing: no dinners, no parties, no red carpet.”
Times have changed and in a positive way compared to the heyday of Candace Parker, who was already a huge star in her day, being a multiple MVP and WNBA champion.
“To watch this evolution and see where it is today is very special,” she continues. “We see companies that want to become sponsors of the WNBA. It takes time. The MLB didn't explode for 30 years, the NBA didn't explode for another 30 years. And we're 28 years old.”
Enough stars for the new teams?
Things are moving very fast for the WNBA right now and that's perhaps the only downside that the former Sparks player wants to point out. New stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will logically create vocations and the league is destined to expand in the coming years. But, Candace Parker warns, we must not go too fast…
“The level of talent and quality is incredible. What worries me is giving the keys to a Ferrari to a child who is learning to drive,” she says. “It can take away the passion. I think you get what you deserve and more, but looking forward, I'm a little worried about expansion. We saw in the '90s, in Michael Jordan's NBA, that if you expand too quickly, sometimes the talent gets diluted.”
As a reminder, at the end of the 1987/88 season, the NBA had only 23 teams. Charlotte and Miami arrived in the summer of 1988, before Orlando and Minnesota the following summer. In 1995, it was the Canadian franchises, Toronto and Vancouver, who entered the big leagues. In seven years, the league had gained six teams and changed its face.
“There are few stars who can carry the torch and carry franchises,” believes the double Olympic gold medalist. “Are there enough stars to carry the franchises that will be created in the next three or four years? That's my only concern. I don't doubt the complementary players, but it takes a lot to be a star, to be the face of a franchise.”
