Candace Parker has been selected as a starter for AT&T WNBA All-Star 2022, the league announced. She will once again take a frontcourt spot in the star-studded match-up, this year at her team's home arena in Chicago.
Las Vegas forward A'ja Wilson and Seattle forward Breanna Stewart, who finished with the most votes in the All-Star poll, will serve as co-captains with Seattle Storm's Sue Bird and Minnesota Lynx's Sylvia Fowles. Bird and Fowles will be playing their final All-Star game, announcing their retirement after playing for nearly two decades in the league. Bird and Wilson have been paired with one team and Fowles and Stewart the other.
Additionally, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner as an honorary All-Star and starter.
With the seventh All-Star appearance of her professional career, Parker is no stranger to All-Star Weekend. The two-time WNBA MVP was third in the polls when voting closed Wednesday with 17,475, just over 2,000 shy of putting her in second place. She was named WNBA All-Star MVP in 2013, her second appearance in the annual showcase game. In 2021, her first year with the Sky, Parker helped secure a WNBA Championship and was named part of The W25 - the top 25 players in WNBA history.
"We're excited for Candace, this is something that's totally merited and she's had an incredible year thus far," General Manager/Head Coach James Wade said. "You know we always love when we have players represent us in Chicago Sky uniforms and we're very proud of everything she's accomplished in a Sky uniform. This just epitomizes what she's done so far and what she's meant to us this year."
Parker is a six-time All-WNBA first team and a three-time All-WNBA second team player. In her 14th season, Parker is currently averaging 12.7 points on 44.9% field goal shooting, 8.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists while seeing 28.6 minutes of action per game. The 2008 No. 1 overall WNBA Draft pick won Rookie of the Year and was named to the All-Rookie Team in her inaugural season. She is a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, one of which she achieved during her first season in the WNBA. A defensive anchor for the Sky, Parker is a two-time All-Defensive second team member and went on to win 2020 Defensive Player of the Year, her final season with the Los Angeles Sparks.
The All-Star player selection began with a voting process that ended Monday, June 20th, and featured a collection of votes from fans, current WNBA players, and a national panel of sports broadcasters and writers. Fans make up 50 percent of the votes while the media and players account for 25 percent each. Scores were determined by averaging the fan, player and media's rank of the All-Star contenders.
The 2022 All-Star Game tips off at 12 p.m. CT, Friday, July 10, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago and will be broadcasted on ABC. A list of the top vote-getters for the All-Star roster selection can be found at www.wnba.com . Other events will also be taking place during All-Star Weekend and can be found at www.wnba.com/asw.
