Congratulations to 2008 WNBA MVP Candace Parker

It has been one heck of a year for Candace Parker. She overcomes a twice-dislocated shoulder (in one game) to inspirationally lead the University of Tennessee to its second consecutive NCAA Women’s Basketball championship. Then…the #1 pick of the 2008 draft, going to the L.A. Sparks to be teamed with perhaps the best mentor she could have: Lisa Leslie. What a great beginning to a new chapter.

Parker’s first game in the WNBA pretty much set the tone: 34pts, 12 rebounds, 8 assists. Not long after she equals what her mentor did and dunks in a game…and then does one better by dunking in the next game. All season long, the story was the same about the greatness of Candace Parker: whether it was a 5×5 against the Indiana Fever, or a 40-point game against Houston, every team knew that the player they had to beat was Parker (not to minimize how important or great Lisa Leslie continues to be, but Parker is not only as dangerous but still getting better).

Then there was a little diversion in the middle of the season known at the Beijing Olympic Games where Parker assumed the young-player role of letting the veterans show off their greatness. Taurasi and Bird did it in Atlanta, and it was Parker’s turn here. Still, the United States didn’t exactly struggle on its way to the gold medal.

The only thing that would make this a truly remarkable season would have been Parker leading the Sparks to a WNBA championship. Except for a lucky shot in the last 1.3 seconds of game 2 of the conference finals—and some very suspect L.A. guard play—and Parker’s season might have continued in a classic series against Detroit.

Even that disappointment couldn’t diminish the sort of year Parker has had. Twice she was named Rookie of the Month. She was named to both the All-Rookie Team and the All-WNBA 1st Team. She won Rookie of the Year honors in a unanimous vote. She led the league in rebounds per game and in double-doubles. She was second in blocks per game, fourth in points per game, fifth in field goal percentage, seventh in minutes played, and even ranked 17th in the league in assists.

When you add to those stats how important she was to increased attendance and viewership, and how well she has represented her team and the league (that “incident” in Detroit notwithstanding), it’s almost amazing that the MVP vote was as close as it was, with Parker edging out Lindsay Whalen.

What next? Reports say that Parker is going to have surgery to repair her damaged left shoulder, and then maybe head off to play some international ball sometime early in 2009. Can she get her WNBA championship? If L.A. gets some bigger and wiser guards, it’s certainly a very large possibility as long as Leslie is still playing to her own high standard. I think the biggest question is whether Parker can stay healthy. She’s a thoroughbred, magnificent in what she does but constantly skirting the edge of what her body is willing to give. When you factor in the large number of minutes she plays, then it’s hard not to be concerned about her longevity. A (mostly) healthy Candace Parker is MVP in any league she’s in.

I’ve been a Candace Parker fan since before her college career as a Lady Vol. She’s always been a class act and her skills have always something to write home about. The truly great players often shine early. I expect that those of us who love women’s basketball will be basking in her brightness for years to come. I’m very happy for Candace…both for her sake and ours. As skilled as she is, she has to work hard at it, so it’s a credit to her and the people she chooses to have around her that she is able to redefine the standards for women’s basketball.

Congratulations, Candace, and not just for winning the league’s MVP award. I’ve enjoyed your 2008 run, and you deserved at least the accolades you’ve been awarded and have earned. I hope you have a very successful shoulder repair, and that after a bit of rest you will be able to embrace another attempt at a WNBA title.