The Las Vegas Aces will be adding some serious star power to their already loaded roster after WNBA star Candace Parker announced she will sign with the team.
Parker, a two-time WNBA champion and two-time MVP, announced her intention to sign with the Aces in an Instagram post on Saturday. Although she announced the news, Parker cannot officially sign with Las Vegas until Feb. 1 when contracts can be finalized.
“After evaluating the landscape together with my family, we’ve decided the Las Vegas Aces are the right organization for us at this point in our lives,” Parker wrote. “To play for a championship close to home is the perfect situation for us. I’m looking forward to continuing the journey this summer in Las Vegas.”
After spending the first 13 seasons of her WNBA career with the Los Angeles Sparks, Parker spent the past two years with the Chicago Sky and helped the franchise win the WNBA championship in 2021.
Parker will join an Aces squad that just won its first WNBA championship and led the league in scoring last season with 90.4 points per game. She will team up with another two-time MVP in A’ja Wilson, as well as stars Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young. Gray and Parker were teammates with the Sparks from 2016 to 2020.
If Parker, Wilson, Plum and Young take the court together this season, it will be the fourth time in WNBA history a team has had four No. 1 overall picks play together, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
When news broke of Parker’s decision, Wilson and Gray couldn’t contain their excitement about their newest teammate.
Yeerrrrrrrxvshjsjssjaksk https://t.co/WfJP4TVoWu
— Chelsea Gray (@cgray209) January 28, 2023
— Aja Wilson (@_ajawilson22) January 28, 2023
My phone ain’t ever wrong this much lmaooo
— Aja Wilson (@_ajawilson22) January 28, 2023
Others in the sports world chimed in after Parker’s free agency decision.
😊 https://t.co/Fqn9lxr2Br
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) January 28, 2023
IM SHOOK 😳 CP to Vegas is crazyyyyyyyy
— Courtney Williams (@CourtMWilliams) January 28, 2023
oh wow pic.twitter.com/MTcUmAyBJY
— Lexie Brown (@Lexiebrown) January 28, 2023
CP to the aces is 🔥
— Bobby BP Portis (@BPortistime) January 28, 2023
Ouuuuuu shhhhhhhhhh!!!! I ain’t see that one coming CP!!!! pic.twitter.com/9TicOuoxFz
— Erica Wheeler (@EWeezy_For3eezy) January 28, 2023
CANDACE TO VEGAS 🤯 pic.twitter.com/VTDbrottpq
— espnW (@espnW) January 28, 2023
this FA is crazy
— Isabelle Harrison (@OMG_itsizzyb) January 28, 2023
Legend!! @Candace_Parker pic.twitter.com/kmsljCSpBG
— 🏁 Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) January 28, 2023