Candace Parker named Adidas president in historic achievement after signing 'partnership' during legendary WNBA career | 0F9SD31 | 2024-05-09 02:08:01
WNBA icon Candace Parker has been named the new president of Adidas Women's Basketball.
Adidas made the announcement on Wednesday after the 38-year-old Parker retired from the WNBA last week.
Parker told Fast Company her new role will call for "overseeing pretty much everything."
"I said to [Adidas], 'I don't want to be a mascot,'" Parker said. "I really want to be in the meetings, and I want to be a part of making decisions."
The position will deal with helping the Adidas brand whether it's evaluating the product line, finding the right athletes for the women's roster, or assisting in driving growth strategies.
Adidas' head of global basketball business Eric Wise said that the company is looking for her to help them "speak to the women's basketball consumer."
In 2010, Parker became the first woman to receive a signature shoe with the company.
The sneaker was called the ACE Commander.
Parker envisioned working with Adidas years ago.
"I've been actually unofficially with Adidas since 2003, which is when my high school team got sponsored by Adidas," she told Andscape in 2018.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Parker was the 2008 No. 1 overall pick selected by the Los Angeles Sparks.
She spent 13 seasons with the Sparks.
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --> During that span, Parker made five NBA All-Star teams while winning two WNBA MVP awards and a championship.
The star basketball forward would go on to play three more seasons.
Parker won league titles with the Chicago Sky (2021) and Las Vegas Aces (2023).
A foot injury sidelined her at the end of last season.
Parker was most known for playing with the Los Angeles Sparks where she played for 13 seasons and won two MVPs and a league title during that span[/caption]
Despite re-signing a $100,000 contract with the Aces, Parker chose to retire last month and will now
"The brand and I have grown together, and we've done some amazing things," she said.
"I'm excited about what the future holds on this side of things, because I'm so passionate about growing the game of basketball."
</div> </div> Parker ranked third in WNBA history in rebounds (3,467), fifth in blocks (619) and ninth in points (6,574).
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