{"id":156504,"date":"2025-08-26T12:05:56","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T16:05:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=156504"},"modified":"2025-08-26T12:05:56","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T16:05:56","slug":"candace-parker-joins-elite-group-with-rare-double-jersey-retirement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/08\/26\/candace-parker-joins-elite-group-with-rare-double-jersey-retirement\/","title":{"rendered":"Candace Parker Joins Elite Group with Rare Double Jersey Retirement"},"content":{"rendered":"

Candace Parker<\/a> has officially joined one of the rarest groups in basketball after the Chicago Sky<\/a> retired her No. 3 jersey, making her only the second player in WNBA history to have her number retired by two different franchises. The honor comes about two months after the Los Angeles Sparks retired her No. 3 jersey in a halftime ceremony held in June.<\/p>\n

Candace Parker Joins Elite Group with Rare Double Jersey Retirement<\/h2>\n

Parker Grateful To Join Elite Group<\/h3>\n

Parker began her WNBA career in Los Angeles, where she played for 13 seasons and established herself as one of the league\u2019s all-time greats. Later, she returned home to Chicago, her birthplace, and led the Sky to their first championship in 2021. Now, both cities have placed her jersey among the franchise legends, ensuring fans in two different arenas will permanently remember her legacy.<\/p>\n

Emotional Night at Wintrust Arena<\/h3>\n

The latest ceremony came during the Sky\u2019s game against the Las Vegas Aces<\/a> at Wintrust Arena. At halftime, the team lifted Parker\u2019s jersey to join Chicago\u2019s 2021 championship banner in the rafters. Just two months earlier, the Sparks held a similar ceremony in Los Angeles. That event included tributes from Lisa Leslie<\/a>, Penny Toler<\/a>, and other Sparks greats, as Parker\u2019s jersey became only the third to be retired by the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s super special,\u201d Parker said<\/a> before Monday’s game. \u201cI\u2019m grateful to join that crew and it\u2019ll be really cool to bring my grandkids back and be like, \u2018You know your grandma could hoop.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Aug
Aug 25, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky franchise legend and WNBA Champion Candace Parker #3 jersey is raised during her jersey retainment ceremony during a WNBA game between the Chicago Sky and Las Vegas Aces at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“My heart will always belong to the state of Illinois, the city of Naperville, and the city of Chicago,” she said during her jersey retirement speech. “It’s not just where I\u2019m from, it’s the core of who I am. To my family, to my coaches, to my trainers, doctors, teachers, mentors, opponents, teammates, the entire Sky organization… all the supporters throughout the years are going up in the rafters.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cTo my family, to my coaches, to my trainers, doctors, teachers, mentors, opponents, teammates, the entire Sky organization\u2026 all the supporters throughout the years are going up in the rafters.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Candace Parker during her jersey retirement speech \ud83d\udc99\u2728 pic.twitter.com\/bah9uZqdec<\/a><\/p>\n

— WNBA (@WNBA) August 26, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n