Good Follow - WNBA Legend Candace Parker Talks Expectations, Finding Fulfillment, Feeling Misunderstood & More

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz – "Good Follow - WNBA Legend Candace Parker Talks Expectations, Finding Fulfillment, Feeling Misunderstood & More"

Release Date: July 22, 2025

---

Introduction

In this episode of Good Follow, hosted by Roz Golden Woody, WNBA legend Candace Parker joins the conversation to discuss her illustrious career, recent retirement, new endeavors, motherhood, and the challenges of navigating public perception. The interview delves deep into Candace's transition from the court to her various off-court roles, her competitive spirit, and her perspectives on broadcasting and media representation in women's basketball.

---

Career Highlights and Achievements

Roz begins by celebrating Candace Parker's remarkable career, highlighting her numerous accolades:

• Three-time WNBA Champion
• Two-time WNBA MVP
• Seven-time All-Star
• Seven-time WNBA First Team
• Two-time NCAA Champion
• Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist

Candace reflects on her 16-year career, discussing the longevity and evolution of her role in basketball.

Candace Parker ([02:32]): "Sixteen years. Yes. Crazy."

---

Retirement and New Roles

Candace recently retired from professional basketball and has since embarked on several new ventures:

• President of Adidas Women’s Basketball
• Author of "The Can Do Mindset"
• NBA Sports Broadcaster for Amazon
• Podcaster
• Entrepreneur
• Mother of Three

Roz emphasizes the significance of Candace's availability amidst her busy schedule, underscoring the importance of her participation in the podcast.

Roz Golden Woody ([02:51]): "She is now in retirement. Newly named the president of Adidas Women’s basketball. Newly the author of the book the Can Do Mindset. NBA sports broadcaster newly of Amazon. And a podcaster. An entrepreneur, a mother of three."

---

Balancing Motherhood and Career

Candace opens up about the challenges and joys of being a mother to three children while managing her professional responsibilities.

Candace Parker ([03:30]): "The hardest job has been the mother of three. Because whoever told me that going from two to three is the same as having two? They lied."

She discusses the logistical challenges, such as chauffeuring her 16-year-old daughter and managing time effectively.

Candace Parker ([04:00]): "I'm still her Uber driver, you know, so it's three kids is a lot, but I love it."

---

Staying Organized and Maintaining Wellness

Roz inquires about Candace's organizational strategies amidst her multifaceted roles. Candace credits her success to meticulous planning and a strong support system.

Candace Parker ([04:21]): "Lots of Google Calendars and color-coordinated Google Calendar. That's huge. But also leaning on my family to make sure everything is good where I'm not."

She emphasizes the importance of being present and committed to where her focus lies, whether at home or work.

---

Competitive Spirit Beyond the Court

Despite retiring, Candace's competitive nature remains undiminished. She finds fulfillment in everyday activities, turning ordinary moments into competitive endeavors.

Candace Parker ([05:16]): "I just can't take the competitor out of the girl. Like, it’s just not okay. Doesn't matter. Even when you retire, you can't take it out."

Roz humorously highlights how Candace's competitiveness extends to casual games at home, ensuring her family stays on their toes.

---

Launching the Podcast: "Post Moves"

Candace introduces her new podcast, "Post Moves," co-hosted with Aaliyah Boston, a three-time All-Star from a different generation.

Candace Parker ([06:43]): "We're two generations seeing things from a different perspective. The show is called Post Moves, obviously because we're two posts and we do a lot of post moves, but it's also like post career moves and what you do."

The podcast aims to blend basketball insights with discussions on entrepreneurship, life off the court, and personal growth.

Candace Parker ([08:16]): "We're going to talk about basketball, obviously, because that's the vehicle that takes us through life. But we're going to talk about off the court stuff. We're going to talk about news that pops up. We're going to talk about life. We're going to talk about food and wine, which I am now, like, I’m a foodie."

---

Broadcasting Challenges and Media Representation

Roz addresses the scrutiny women face in sports broadcasting, particularly in women's basketball. She references recent viral comments Candace made about Angel Reese and the backlash that ensued.

Candace Parker ([10:48]): "I think that my response is, there’s no hate on Angel Reese. I love her. She plays for the Chicago Sky. I saw her at my Jersey retirement versus LA, so it's nothing like that."

Candace stresses the importance of objective and constructive commentary in broadcasting, advocating for a respectful discourse that focuses on the game rather than personal attacks.

Candace Parker ([12:04]): "I think it's so interesting in this female space, the need to have to explain some of these things like that you don't see where, you know, we worked with the guys at Turner where they come on and they say stuff that's just so outlandish."

---

Handling Expectations and Feeling Misunderstood

Roz draws parallels between Candace's experiences and those of male superstars like LeBron James, exploring the pressures of living up to high expectations.

Candace attributes her resilience and focus to her upbringing, emphasizing that external expectations should never surpass personal aspirations.

Candace Parker ([17:59]): "My parents always talked about, like, the bar and everybody else's expectations should never exceed your own. And I really value the upbringing that I had to focus on the process and what's gonna get me there and not the noise that's around."

She reflects on moments of feeling misunderstood during challenging phases of her career, highlighting the importance of perseverance and maintaining focus on personal goals.

Candace Parker ([22:03]): "I really have to keep your head down and just like they say in kindergarten, like, keep your eyes on your own paper. It gets difficult at times, but the more you do that and you just dive into your process, all that other stuff, expectations, those are all just white noise."

---

Future Aspirations and Legacy

In the concluding segment, Roz asks Candace about her aspirations for the future, contemplating whether her second chapter could surpass her basketball achievements.

Candace expresses her ambition to influence the business world, advocate for financial literacy among female athletes, and increase women's representation in corporate leadership.

Candace Parker ([24:14]): "I hope Magic Johnson is my North Star in terms of business and athletes and family and all of those good things. I'd like to see more women in board seats. I'd like to see more women at cap tables. I'd like to see more female athletes get opportunities that our male counterparts are getting."

She envisions leveraging her experiences to open doors for future generations, ensuring that the skills and lessons learned from her athletic career translate into sustained success off the court.

Candace Parker ([25:20]): "I hope to serve the game that has given me so much, but also hopefully open it up more doors for when the ball stops bouncing for others."

---

Closing Remarks

The episode concludes with a lighthearted exchange about a Domino’s tournament, showcasing the camaraderie between Roz and Candace. Candace reinforces her supportive nature, encouraging Roz to embrace the competitive spirit.

Candace Parker ([25:37]): "There is no try, okay? There is do or do not."

Roz humorously admits her apprehension about the competitive games ahead, while Candace assures her of unwavering support.

Roz Golden Woody ([25:55]): "All right, Candace, thank you so much for kicking it. Alright. Love you."

Candace Parker ([26:13]): "Love you, Love you."

---

Notable Quotes

• Candace Parker ([05:16]): "I just can't take the competitor out of the girl. Like, it’s just not okay. Doesn't matter. Even when you retire, you can't take it out."

• Candace Parker ([10:48]): "I think that my response is, there’s no hate on Angel Reese. I love her. She plays for the Chicago Sky."

• Candace Parker ([17:59]): "My parents always talked about, like, the bar and everybody else's expectations should never exceed your own."

• Candace Parker ([24:14]): "I'd like to see more women in board seats. I'd like to see more women at cap tables."

---

Conclusion

This episode offers an insightful glimpse into Candace Parker's journey from a celebrated athlete to a multifaceted leader in sports, business, and media. Her candid discussions on balancing personal and professional life, handling public scrutiny, and paving the way for future female athletes provide valuable lessons for listeners. Candace's unwavering dedication, competitive spirit, and forward-thinking mindset underscore her commitment to excellence both on and off the court.

---

For those who missed the episode, this summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights shared by Candace Parker, offering an engaging and comprehensive overview of her experiences and future aspirations.

Transcript

[Venmo Advertiser]

With the Venmo debit card, you can Venmo everything. Your favorite band's merch. You can Venmo this or their next show. You can Venmo that. Visit Venmo Me debit to learn more. The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp bank and a pursuant to license by Mastercard International Inc. The card may be used everywhere. MasterCard is accepted. Venmo purchase restrictions apply.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. With the price of just about everything going up, we thought we'd bring our prices down. So to help us, we brought in a reverse auctioneer, which is apparently a.

[Reverse Auctioneer]

Thing Mint Mobile Unlimited premium wireless. Better get 30, 30. Better get 30. Better get 20, 20, 20. Better get 20, 20. Everybody.

[Candace Parker]

15. 15.

[Reverse Auctioneer]

Just 15 bucks a month.

[Auctioneer Assistant]

Sold.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Give it a [e-mail] Switch.

[Venmo Advertiser]

Upfront payment of $45 for three month plan equivalent to $15 per month required new customer offer for first three months only. Speed slow after 35 gigabytes of networks busy. Taxes and fees extra. See mintmobile.com you're listening to Draftk.

[Roz Golden Woody]

Hey, what's up? Good follow. It's your girl, Roz Golden Woody coming to you from Indianapolis. And at today's show, joining us we have one of the legends, one of the goats of the game and my friend, my girl, Candace Parker joining us. What's up?

[Candace Parker]

Thanks for having me. This is our like biannual meetup at All Star. We do NBA all Star and we do WNBA all Star. So I'm excited to be here with you.

[Roz Golden Woody]

I want to be very clear how big this is. I mean Candace is really only here for a day and the entire schedule is stockpiled. And I said, hey girl, we going to be in person. Do you have time? She, she squeezed this moment out for us. So thank you so much. No, I appreciate you and it means a lot to our family at Goodfollow, all the fans watching. I usually start off with like accolades and it's usually one sentence for our guests. But just real quick, a very short and summarized version of all the things she is. You know who she's awkward. No, I got to do something.

[Candace Parker]

Look at the camera. Do you? Yeah, I look down. I don't know what to do. Sit back. I don't know.

[Roz Golden Woody]

You should shake your head. Yes, that's. That is. I, I did that. Okay. She's a three time WNBA champion, a two time WNBA mvp. She's a seven time all star, seven time WNBA first team, two time NCAA champion, two time Olympic gold medalist. Y', all, this is not even close to all the accolades. I'm just trying to get the ones that are the, you know, that get the people going after a hoop career.

[Candace Parker]

Sixteen years. Yes. Crazy.

[Roz Golden Woody]

She just.

[Candace Parker]

I think people are gonna know how old we are now when I say 16 years.

[Roz Golden Woody]

You know what? That's so crazy that you have gotten older, because I am aging with grace.

[Candace Parker]

I mean, last time I checked, we did play against each other in 2008.

[Roz Golden Woody]

For the championship, so I.

[Candace Parker]

2008. That's the 20 years sneaking up.

[Roz Golden Woody]

I'm proud to be a part of your testimony. No, but just to catch you up, she recently retired last year, right?

[Candace Parker]

Yes.

[Roz Golden Woody]

And so in the meantime, y', all, and this is important for you to understand as we talk today, she is now in retirement. Newly named the president of Adidas Women's basketball. Newly. The offer. The author of the book the Can Do Mindset. NBA sports broadcaster. Newly of Amazon.

[Candace Parker]

Thank you. Appreciate it.

[Roz Golden Woody]

And a podcaster. We'll get to that. An entrepreneur, a mother of three. I mean, did I get to everything kind of new that's happening right now or I missed something?

[Candace Parker]

And I'll tell you, the hardest job has been the mother of three. Because whoever told me that going from two to three is the same as having two? Like, if you have two kids, you might as well have three or four. They lied.

[Roz Golden Woody]

What's the difference?

[Candace Parker]

Well, there's only two of us and there's three of them. My daughter's 16 and everybody's like, oh, she's.

[Roz Golden Woody]

Can she be a helper?

[Candace Parker]

Like, she's great, but she still has her life and things. I have to get her to and show for her, too. Cause kids in LA wait till late to drive now. And so I'm still her Uber driver, you know, so it's three kids is a lot, but I love it.

[Roz Golden Woody]

So Candace Parker is driving the kids to, like, the next thing that you have to do.

[Candace Parker]

Okay.

[Roz Golden Woody]

Absolutely. So, honestly, like, how do you stay organized with everything I just listed? And I mean that very seriously. Like, what is Candace's organization toolkit not only for organization, but wellness too?

[Candace Parker]

Well, lots of Google Calendars and color coordinated Google Calendar. That's huge. But also I think it's leaning on my family, my wife, to make sure that everything is good where I'm not. And I'm super grateful for the team that's around me that helps me be where my feet are. I think that's the biggest thing in this phase of life. You feel guilty not being places or not Being at work when you're at home or vice versa. And so I've really tried to commit to being where my two feet are. Yeah.

[Roz Golden Woody]

And, you know, it's interesting because you wear all these different new hats right now, but when we were playing ball, like, it's very tangible and easy. There's a game that you're playing on the court, you're trying to win it. There's going to be a stat sheet at the end to kind of evaluate how it went. Like, now that you're retired, where do you get competitive edge from and fulfillment from now?

[Candace Parker]

Well, unfortunately for my family, I am still the same competitor as when I played. It's just I don't have the outlet in a game scenario. So now it's like dominoes. It's outside playing horse. It's volleyball with my daughter. It's, you know, if we're in the pool and like, I don't know, we were shooting rings, you know, on the, on the little hoop in the pool, and I was like, I stayed there until I got it. Like, I just. Yeah, so you can't take the competitor out of the girl. Like, it's just not okay. Doesn't matter. Even when you retire, you can't take it out.

[Roz Golden Woody]

So you're just tormenting your family at home with, like, innocent games.

[Candace Parker]

No easy layups. No layups ever. My son knows that. Like, he knows to look over his shoulder before he goes the little tykes hoop.

[Roz Golden Woody]

Candace is having a domino's tournament here tonight, and she's trying to get me to play. And this is exactly why I said that I don't feel comfortable playing because I don't really know the rules. Like, I casually know. And I have a feeling that you I'll get yelled at and that you're going to be hyper competitive.

[Candace Parker]

It gets really serious. I'm not going to lie. It does. But I still think you should play.

[Roz Golden Woody]

No, you pulled up for me. I'm a pull up for you.

[Candace Parker]

All right. Bet.

[Roz Golden Woody]

Period. You recently announced a new podcast and it's post moves with you and Aaliyah Boston. So Aaliyah Boston, your star, three time all star, different generations. I know. Team Adidas, but I was just. As soon as I heard it, I was like, oh, okay, what's that relationship? Why her? What can we expect from you two in this podcast?

[Candace Parker]

So interesting. I didn't know Aaliyah before the national championship game, and she took her moment when she was getting the national championship trophy, was on stage with Holly Row, and looked at me and said, hey, girl. Candice Parker is here in one of the biggest moments of her entire career. So that's kind of like what set the stage for our relationship in that, you know, I was kind of the big sister when it came time to sign her for Adidas. I was like, she's an absolute perfect fit for obviously, the player and dominance that she brings on the court, but off the court, she is phenomenal. And so we've kind of gotten to know each other. She's with my agent. Agent. So it's kind of like that. And then when this came about, it was just two generations seeing things from a different perspective. And I think that in the podcast space, it's important. You know, you have somebody that's the grit, the grind that's in it, that's running up and down the court. And then you have me that's kind of removed from it, that has done that, but now is doing other things. And so the show is called Post Moves, obviously, because we're two posts and we do a lot of post moves, but it's also like post career moves and what you do. Yeah, you see that play on Stanford. Come on, Stanford.

[Roz Golden Woody]

Oh, I'm trying to stay with you, bro. Like, you're moving, you're playing chess. I'm still in checkers mode right now, but that's so cool because Aaliyah is very, like, she big picture thinking, very entrepreneurial. So this is going to be court and off court, handling business on both sides.

[Candace Parker]

It's going to be about basketball, obviously, because that's the vehicle that I think takes us through life. But we're going to talk about, you know, off the court stuff. We're going to talk about news that pops up. We're going to talk about life. We're going to talk about food and wine, which I am now, like, I. I'm a foodie.

[Roz Golden Woody]

What kind of wine drinker are you?

[Candace Parker]

Oh, so I'm into Burgundies now. I was like, Napa Cabs. I'll do a pinot every now and again. Colgan is probably my favorite wine. Actually just recently got a part of their wine club, which is unbelievable. And they. We ordered the 2008, 2007 because we won championships and we did a 2016, 2021. And so in 2009 for my daughter. So we did that year for when she turns 21. So I'm just a big wine drinker and I really enjoy it. And I think it's what comes of those conversations, you know what I mean?

[Roz Golden Woody]

Do you think you could start your own winery? A lot of people are getting into spirits and things like that.

[Candace Parker]

You know what I would love to do? I would love to go around and be that Anthony Bourdain and trial of these things and do the food and all that, and do a history co host.

[Roz Golden Woody]

I'm already ready.

[Candace Parker]

I would love to do something like that. No, I'm serious. It would make me happy. More so than, you know, starting something like that.

[Roz Golden Woody]

Yeah. And I. I think you have enough free time to do it. You can. Why not just start that right now? Yeah, just let's. Let's add that in. But no, that's very cool. I don't want you to judge me, but you want to know what my favorite wine is?

[Candace Parker]

Oh, no. Okay.

[Roz Golden Woody]

A nice chill summer.

[Candace Parker]

Okay.

[Roz Golden Woody]

I'm not. I'm. I'm a vibe.

[Candace Parker]

I thought you were going to say, like, barefoot Moscato or something. And then I was like, listen, I.

[Roz Golden Woody]

Also enjoy a sweet Moscato. I'm one of the aunties. Okay. And I. But I do enjoy a cab. But people call me. I'm known in friend groups as Rose Razay.

[Candace Parker]

I like that. Yes, that's got a nice ring to it. Definitely has a nice ring to it.

[Roz Golden Woody]

But to come back to the podcast, I mean, I will be sad. That sounds great. And, you know, it's cool because you're this legendary Hooper, but you're also in broadcasting, and there's a sisterhood in that, too. I actually think it's kind of tough sometimes to cover women's basketball as a broadcaster. And I've spoken with other ones. I feel like, you know, there's just so much critique. There's so much vital and sometimes, like, hate when you're just speaking candidly about the ups and downs of a player's career. I do. A few of us have talked about feeling pressure from different player fan groups, all the things. And recently you've been. You had comments on Angel Reese and it went viral.

[Candace Parker]

And like, so crazy, because I didn't even know this. And then I like on my Instagram and I see comments underneath, I think. And I know you're getting to this question.

[Roz Golden Woody]

No, no, no. I was going to say people were saying, oh, you're an Angel Reese hater. And I'm like, first of all, just let you answer. What's your response to that?

[Candace Parker]

No, I think my response is. Is in no intention. I'm not a hater. I think it's just commenting on the player. I mean, that's what it comes down to is they asked me my opinion on player tears. And my thing is, is then if you bring something to the argument, bring something else. Can she get to player A or player S or whatever? Yes, she can. Right now, I don't know if she's alongside those players and Bs. And you're measuring her against players that have been in the league for years. Right. And so I think that, you know, I've faced it in on the men's side. When people attack you for what you look like or who you are, that's usually not coming with a solid argument. And so I'm willing to debate. I love it. Be like, tell me I'm wrong, but bring facts to the table. And so that's the biggest thing. There's no hate on Angel Reese. I love her. She plays for the Chicago Sky. I saw her at my Jersey retirement versus la, so it's nothing like that. But I just. I think it's so interesting in this female space, the need to have to explain some of these things like that you don't see where, you know, we worked with the guys at Turner where they come on and they say stuff that's just so outlandish. I will never attack anybody's character. I will never attack who they are, ever. And I just hope that others will do the same.

[Roz Golden Woody]

Yeah, absolutely. And I feel like there has to be room in broadcasting to and talking about women's hoops where you can objectively talk about legitimately in a objective and constructive way when someone is playing well and when they're not. That's literally our job also to make an opinion over something and to project over time. And you bring in a legend because you respect the body of work and what they're saying. When I was. When I saw some of that feedback, I was like, this is crazy. Over a small, like, sound bite.

[Candace Parker]

You know what's so crazy is that I'm going to be like, Shaq. I'm going to be like, you're welcome, Angel. That's why you got five double doubles the last five games. She heard me. She manned up. Now she playing well, look, because that's me. No, I'm not that, like, no, angel is going to get her double double. She's been playing phenomenal. She done hit him with the in, out.

[Roz Golden Woody]

Yeah, dribble.

[Candace Parker]

And she's raised her level of play. And you want to see that jump from the first to the second year, which she has. And so, yeah, I think in. In this space, I feel like the need to have to explain myself but I'm. I don't. So like, it's fine. It's cool. But I think where we know we're going to be successful is we get to a place where it's sports and it's not not personal.

[Podcast Host]

Hey, good follow show. I hope you're enjoying this incredible interview with the one and only Candace Parker. But we need to take a break. We'll be right back.

[Auctioneer Assistant]

Nothing says summer like long days, clutch plays and firing off a few bets on the game. All with DraftKings sportsbook. Never bet on baseball before. It's easy. Pick a guy to go yard, hammer some live yards mid game or just ride with your squad and hope for the best. No spreadsheets, just vibes and dingers. Here's something special for first timers. Your DraftKings customers bet $5 and get 150 in bonus bets into instantly. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app and use code GoodFollow. That's code G O O D F O L L O W for new customers to get 150 in bonus bets instantly where you bet just five bucks only at DraftKings. The crown is yours.

[DraftKings Advertiser]

Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER in New York. Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY at 467-369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill Casino and 21 and over. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void. In Ontario, bonus bets expire seven days after issuance. For additional terms on responsible gaming resources, see DKNG co Audio.

[Podcast Host]

Welcome back to Goodfellow. Today's episode is presented by DraftKings. DraftKings. The Crown is yours. Let's get back to the interview and.

[Roz Golden Woody]

Actually to come to the men's side, you are one of the rare few women that are analysts on NBA basketball. First of all, some commotion for our girl who is newly of the Amazon NBA team. Yay. So how do you prepare for these roles and also how do you handle the spotlight of that, both the good and the bad, you know, and that's you, that's Doris Berg we're talking about at the highest levels, really. I mean, there's other women who have called, but really two women. Am I wrong about that?

[Candace Parker]

You know, Cheryl, Cheryl Miller did an amazing job of calling games. I mean, obviously Debbie Antonelli does a great job of calling games. I think there are women out there. I'D like to see more opportunities. I think the biggest thing is, is I. I want to be a Hooper, Roz. You know, I never wanted to be one of the guys. I want to be one of the players. And I've said that from the get go. And I see the game differently. And then Isaiah Thomas, then Shaq, then D. Wade, then Jamal Crawford. Like, I see the game different than them in the way that we played, just because of the way that we played. And so I think that there's value in those differences and there's values in it. It opens up for debate. But my thing is, from Tennessee, I learned the more prepared you are, the more you're able to pivot and know the storyline. And so that was one thing. I was really proud this year. It was my first call of playoff games, and I was extremely prepared. Yeah. And I think that's the hardest thing. You can't undervalue that.

[Roz Golden Woody]

Were you nervous?

[Candace Parker]

It's weird. It's almost like the first two minutes of the game, you know, when you start running up and down the court and it doesn't matter how great of shape you're in, you're still out of breath. That's how it is. That's how it is with, you know, with commentating. Then you get into the flow, you forget the moment, and you just talk basketball.

[Roz Golden Woody]

Yeah. When I think about the greatest and also kind of the way we've covered certain players in both NBA, WNBA. You gotta talk about LeBron James. And I think about LeBron, this mega superstar that from youth, we knew of him, we were told he was gonna be great. And then we watched his whole life under a magnifying glass. And for the most part, LeBron not only lived up to the expectations, he did more. He did all of it. And honestly, when I think about, like, what would be the female equivalent of that, it's you. And literally, Candace, like, we knew you as the female young player in high school that were on the magazine covers. We knew your baby hairs. I'm from New York City, for whatever reason, because of you, I heard of Naperville, Illinois. We watched your dunks. Everything that you were supposed to do, you did. You went to Tennessee and delivered championships to Pat Summitt. You went on to be a number one draft pick. You won the rookie of the year. You won at every single level, girl. So on the, like, a woman's side, because we often praise LeBron for living with these expectations and delivering on the woman's side, like, what has that been like for you, living with those expectations and meeting them and more.

[Candace Parker]

My parents always talked about, like, the bar and everybody else's expectations should never exceed your own. And I really value the upbringing that I had to be able to focus on the process and what's gonna get me there and not the noise that's around. And so because of that, I do. I am a competitor. I want to win, and I want to get in the gym and work on things that I'm not good at. And I also really do well when somebody tells me I can't. And so a lot of my motivation after achieving that unbelievable 2008 of winning an Olympic gold medal, winning a national championship, falling short of WNBAA finals, but winning rookie of the Year and mvp. I got pregnant after that year, and I heard people say, like, you can't have a career and a family and be great at your craft, like it. Like you were. And I just feel like I have a kid that's front row to this entire journey, and I want to show her, like, growth. I want to show her missteps. I want to show her, you know, the mistakes I've made have actually propelled me forward to really achieve the things I want to achieve. And so with that being said, I think it's. It's challenging to kind of, especially in this day and age where there's a bunch of noise, it's challenging to keep your head down and just like they say in kindergarten, like, keep your eyes on your own paper. Like, it gets difficult at times, but the more you do that and you just dive into your process, all that other stuff, expectations, those are all just. It's just white noise.

[Roz Golden Woody]

But were you aware of it as a kid in high school and then in college?

[Candace Parker]

I loved it. I loved it. I wanted to be the person that they yelled at in the away gyms. Like, I wanted people to, like, come at me. Like, I liked getting the best of everybody. So to me, in general, I think it was a privilege to be able to, you know, have that and to look back on high school and see the filled gems and, like, to see the, you know, the little girls waiting after for autographs. I mean, like, I don't take that for granted, and I feel like it is a privilege.

[Roz Golden Woody]

Yeah, it's. It's historic. It's unique. It's really, when I think about it at that, for that timeframe and era and genre, it was LeBron, it was Sebastian Telfair at that era. Like, the players that nationally and social media wasn't really a thing like that. So who did you know? Even if you were in a different state coming up and you heard. But you heard about them Chicago hoops.

[Candace Parker]

I mean, I know you're in New York and y' all have some good Hoopers. Y' all have some really, really good Hoopers.

[Roz Golden Woody]

I remember how big Bassey was. It was a huge hoop. Yeah.

[Candace Parker]

Sebastian Telefera got a hoop.

[Roz Golden Woody]

You were like that for the women. You know what I'm saying?

[Candace Parker]

But it was. It was a crazy. It was a crazy time because I think social media kind of dictates a lot now. Whereas then you went and pulled up and saw for yourself live. And I think that there was beauty in that. Yes. Could we have made a lot more money with social media being part of our career? 100. But I do think, like the goodness of what sports was back then, when people pulled up themselves and had to watch you play, as opposed to being able to just see clips on the Internet or whatever, I think that was. That was special as well.

[Roz Golden Woody]

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So as we come to an end here, I was thinking about one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard you say, and I came to tears. It was after you won the championship in Chicago in 2021. You're tearing up and it's a post game interview and you talk about time will tell the story. You're like, you don't have to always yell. I'm paraphrasing. You don't always have to yell from the rooftops who you are and what you do. Like, sometimes you can let time tell the story and God, that resonated. Because, you know, sometimes in life you can feel like you're not being seen the right way or you're being misunderstood or this isn't the way it was supposed to be, or people are mistelling your story, whatever it is. And then here was this beautiful moment of you towards, more towards the end of your career, again coming out on top. When you look back on it all, when did you feel the most maybe misunderstood in your career?

[Candace Parker]

There was a middle period. And, you know, the way that the world works is like, first they love you, then they hate you, then they wait for what's next. And when you don't deliver and you're not winning, you're easily forgotten. You can go from the top of the mountain and lose a couple games. I mean, you look on the NBA side, like, how many people are writing Giannis atetokounmpo off? And it's just like wild to think that they're writing him off. There's so many things that have to come to life to win a championship. It's not just one individual player. And so you get written off a lot and disrespected, and especially when you're fighting to win a championship. And it's constantly the same result of the last second shot or whatever. And I went through those ups and downs in the middle of my career. And I would say, yeah, like, once the hot rookie, you know, came in, did this, this and this, I won. You know, I won MVP in. In 2013, and then was cut from the Olympic team in 2016, which is wild. And so with that being said, you learn to really kind of keep everything out. And I say that in. You know, sometimes as athletes, we want to read the good, and we want to listen to people when there's validation and goodness, but we want to really listen to them when they're saying negative things. And we let that impact us. And I've learned to really let that roll off my back. Like, you really have to just be a part of your process. And my process was winning a championship nine years after I got into the wnba. And my process was then going back to Chicago and using the tools that I. The muscles that I developed during that drought of nine years and all the hard days and whatever to then win a championship in Chicago. And so I really, truly believe that, you know, everything happens for a reason. And the reason why we won in Chicago was because of the hard times that I had in LA. I'm 100% sure of that.

[Roz Golden Woody]

That's a testimony. Last question for you. I started this whole thing off sharing with everyone all the things that you're up to now, and obviously all of the things you accomplished as a basketball player. I don't even know if you've thought about this yet, but could you imagine, do you think it's possible that your second chapter could be even bigger than your highly decorated first chapter?

[Candace Parker]

I hope so. I really do. I think Magic Johnson is my North Star in terms of business and athletes and family and all of those good things. And I hope to kind of have a trajectory like that. I'd like to see more women in board seats. I'd like to see more women at cap tables. I'd like to see more female athletes get opportunities that our male counterparts are getting. And I think the only way to do that is outside the lines. You know, I would like to be one that creates a financial literacy course and expectation for the ncaa, for college. I would like to be someone that helps vet female athletes to be able to serve on boards because the skills that we develop over our career are invaluable. I mean, like, you can't. It's the intangibles. It's the winning, it's the losing. It's working with differences. It's all of these things, teamwork that you learn as an athlete that give you a head start going into the next phase. And so I hope to serve. Serve the game that has given me so much, but also hopefully open it up more doors for. For when the ball stops bouncing for others.

[Roz Golden Woody]

Oh, amen. Mic drop. I mean, just incredible. I have no doubts that when you put your mind to something, you're going to do all of that and continue to impact the game.

[Candace Parker]

Well, I need you to put your mind to Domino's tonight, okay?

[Roz Golden Woody]

I'm going to try my best.

[Candace Parker]

I need you to do.

[Roz Golden Woody]

I am going to.

[Candace Parker]

There is no try, okay? There is no try. There is do or do not.

[Roz Golden Woody]

I just want to relax and have fun tonight. And, like, there's already pressure.

[Candace Parker]

Winning is fun. I'm not.

[Roz Golden Woody]

I'm scared, guys. I'm.

[Candace Parker]

Anyway, girl, you know, I love you so much. I love you. So proud of you. You are amazing at what you. And again, it's unbelievable to link up with you. So I'm excited. Even though we're like, neighbors, basically.

[Roz Golden Woody]

Yeah, no, she won't hang out with me. I only see her at these very corporate events, all star weekends. But you are a busy mother of three.

[Candace Parker]

You going to come over and you go see the kids and you going to see why we don't get out much just because they. We can't take them out.

[Roz Golden Woody]

All right, Candace, thank you so much for kicking it. All right. Love you.

[Candace Parker]

Love you, Love you.