Whether on or off the court, the legendary WNBA player Candace Parker will always shine. Now, she’s been appointed as the new president of Adidas’s women’s basketball sector. Recently, in late April, Parker announced she was retiring from playing pro basketball which caused an uproar of shock and support from her fans and players. She’s legendary in the WNBA as she’s played in the league for 16 seasons.
After much thought and deliberation on whether or not to renew her contract with the Las Vegas Aces, she decided that her foot injury that occurred last year would keep her from playing to her full potential. The player already had a strong relationship with the sportswear brand and nurturing it more felt like the right direction to head toward. She’d been working with the brand since 2008, after signing a contract with them. Parker was the first woman that Adidas made a signature shoe with in 2010, has designed three collections with them since then, and had previously been part of an Adidas mentorship program for NIL-sponsored college athletes.
“The brand and I have grown together, and we’ve done some amazing things,” she said in a statement to Fast Company. “I’m excited about what the future holds on this side of things, because I’m so passionate about growing the game of basketball.”
Through this new role, Parker’s first marching orders are to assist with the brand’s product development and brand voice for prospective athletes to sign on. She has always had such a strong influence on and off the court and now can utilize it by creating a strategy for the women’s category. The global basketball business lead at Adidas, Eric Wise, noted that Parker’s presence is to solidify the tone that the brand speaks to real women basketball players. Parker will be overseeing the clothing and shoe design, athletic partnerships, and growth strategies to ensure the brand is going in the right direction. She told Fast Company she had no interest in just being the face of the brand’s women’s basketball sector but wanted to be part of the decision-making process.
Woman-centered design is at the forefront of Parker’s intentions. As the WNBA is getting its rightful attention from the public, Parker is boosting the brand’s awareness to it too, especially in regard to the WNBA player’s tunnel looks. Overall, she’s boosting morale by fighting for women’s basketball to be invested in from the brand’s point of view. We’re staying tuned into what she’s got planned with the brand next.
