She won Olympic gold in Beijing while carrying her first child, but it was playing club basketball in mainland China that allowed Candace Parker “to take care of my family”.
A WNBA champion with three different franchises in the United States, Parker had spells with Guangdong Dolphins and Xinjiang Magic Deer between 2016 and 2018.
Also a veteran of six seasons in Russia and one in Turkey, Parker, in Hong Kong exploring opportunities to add to her broad investment portfolio, told the South China Morning Post: “They are the premier countries for women’s basketball [outside the US] and coming over here changed the way I looked at the world.
“At that point in time it was about taking care of my family, and playing in China allowed me to do that. Basketball there is first and foremost.
“Also, my daughter came everywhere with me and being able to see the world through her eyes was huge [for personal development].”
Parker became pregnant around the time she was named the WNBA’s 2008 rookie of the year and MVP, and a 2008 Olympic champion.