Why Candace Parker should be a WNBA All-Star in possibly her last season, how fans can vote
Candace Parker is playing in her 15th and possibly last WNBA season.
The former Lady Vols great was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2008 and has won two WNBA titles and was voted the WNBA Finals MVP in 2016. Parker, 36, has been a WNBA All-Star six times, including in 2021, and is making a case to make back-to-back appearances.
Fan votes account for 50% of the total vote, with current players and media accounting for 25% each. The ballot includes six frontcourt players and and four backcourt players. Fans can vote online here until Monday, and votes on Saturday count twice. The All-Star teams will be revealed Wednesday. Parker was third in fan voting last week with 17,475 votes, and finishing in the top two would make her a captain.
Here's why Parker should be an All-Star this season.
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She's still got it
Making a case for Parker to be in the All-Star game isn't just fans being fans. Parker is still one of the best players in the league and made that abundantly clear at the beginning of the season.
On May 22, she logged her second career triple-double when she had 16 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in the Chicago Sky's 82-73 win over the Washington Mystics. She is the third player to record multiple triple-doubles in her career. Parker is also the oldest player in league history to record a triple-double.
Parker's stats back it up
While Parker averages only 12.4 points per game, her shooting is efficient. From two-point range, Parker is shooting 50%, according to Her Hoop Stats. She still has the ability to shoot from beyond the arc, too, and is hitting 34.6% of her 3-point attempts.
Parker averages 4.5 assists, which is second-most of all frontcourt players and 10th in the league. Her versatility, ability to play any position and playmaking ability makes her an invaluable starter to the Sky.
Parker's 7.9 rebounds per game ranked eighth in the league and her 6.9 defensive rebounds rank fourth. She has a strong defensive presence, tallying 11 steals and 14 blocks through the Sky's first 13 games.
It would be the cherry on top in Chicago
Parker went home to Chicago last season and led the team to the franchise's first WNBA title. This year, Chicago will host the WNBA All-Star game for the first time. The game will take place at Wintrust Arena on July 10 (1 p.m., ABC).
For Parker to have an All-Star season in what may be her last season, and get to play in the game in her hometown of Chicago – well, you can't write a better ending than that.
Cora Hall: Covering UT women's athletics
Twitter | cora.hall@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Candace Parker should be a WNBA All-Star and how fans can vote
