Candace Parker, the newly appointed president of Adidas Women’s Basketball, candidly opened up about her hopes for her latest era. Since announcing her retirement from basketball, a sport she’s been enthralled by for decades, she has shifted her focus to elevating a brand that feels intrinsically part of her. In Phoenix, where she attended All-Star Weekend for the first time as a non-player, her discernment rang loudly over a call she took while prepping for press appearances and events. She details that it’s important to understand what she and Adidas aim to accomplish. “We’re trying to sell shoes and have Adidas on as many people’s feet as we can,” she says. “But in the process, we’re trying to grow the game of basketball and grow women’s basketball especially.” Parker notes that right now is an ideal time for this, given the eyes that are fixated on the WNBA and women’s sports.
The three-time WNBA champion, former Las Vegas Aces player, and seven-time All-Star says she thinks that Adidas can succeed by making an impact from a grassroots standpoint. She declares doing so will mean providing more opportunities for athletes who have deserved it for a long time. Currently, players on the roster include Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Erica Wheeler, and others. Copper is a standout due to her knack for style on and off the court. Notably, part of the work will be Parker and the brand teaming up to raise the bar and continue to put women at the forefront, says the Naperville, Illinois native.
Parker isn’t taking her new appointment lightly. She expresses that she’s been in three stripes since her sophomore year in high school and through college at the University of Tennessee–she counts that as 16 years professionally. “My longest-standing partnerships [are] Gatorade and Adidas,” she said. She also mentions she will never forget what it was like putting on her first pair of Tracy McGrady Pro Model sneakers years ago.
Parker’s first official Adidas sneaker under the “Ace” line was launched in 2010. First includes the Ace Commander and the Ace Versatility, which is a significant part of the canon associated with women basketball players. It began with Sheryl Swoopes, who was the first woman to have her own athletic sneaker. According to Andscape, in 2021, Adidas released three colorways of the exhibit A sneaker, each inspired by Parker.
Since the role will take on a leadership capacity, Parker explains that she will identify hoopers who have passion and want to do more than lace up their sneakers and cash a check. “I’ve always tried to represent the brand in a positive way, and so now, it’s just a different role in doing that. I’m so grateful,” she said.
Since she will always be a player first, this is the unique prowess she brings to Adidas. Parker hopes she will bring this mentality or the player’s perspective to the boardroom. “I feel like the culture that we want to build at Adidas [centers] empowerment,” she said. “When you feel ownership for something, and you feel empowered by something that you’re a part of, you’re going to work harder for it.” She adds that it’s not by chance that anyone is given equity and power. One should go above and beyond when given these opportunities, says Parker.
“We want to be that brand that is for the athletes, represents the athletes, [and] empowers the athletes,” Candace shares. She expresses that she feels she is building this type of internal culture while being in search of athletes who will align with these ideals. She says she’s a testament to what can happen when an athletic company’s culture is largely focused on athletes.
“I have been in different positions with Adidas, and through it all, they’ve stuck with me. I’ve been overseas for six months out of the year. I’ve been pregnant, I’ve been injured.” With conviction, she expands on this notion of togetherness: Parker says that she and Adidas both had a passion for growing together. “That’s what a partnership is, and that’s what I want to do in this roster, continue to make sure we’re inspiring the next [generation].”
Parker says athletes are dismantling the “shut up and dribble” remark from years ago. Candace says this notion carries over to more than just politics too. In her words, “I think it’s also your career [ends], and the lights dim as soon as you’re done playing you’re not relevant,” she said. Yet, she says athletes are changing that narrative.
She firmly states that as a graduate and degree holder from the University of Tennessee, she feels that her experiences overseas and in the U.S. playing basketball have molded her into a stakeholder. And she believes that there are a number of athletes who can be valuable to organizations and corporations in addition to decision-making entities.
Her 15-year-old daughter Lailaa is a perfect example of what is on the horizon for the future generation. “She believes she can do anything she puts her mind to,” she said. “I think that’s what we’re ushering in, is the next generation that really, truly believes that. And so, we need people that are in positions and making decisions that will put them in the positions to be able to have [an] impact.”
At a private Adidas event during WNBA All-Star Weekend at Toca Madera in Scottsdale honoring Parker, a few energies were permeating, but one stood out, gratitude. To put it plainly, Parker received her flowers from her peers, luminaries, and emerging stars of the WNBA. Faces in the room included Copper, Sue Bird, Parker’s wife, Anna Petrakova, Lailaa, and countless others who showcased the human side of the legend.
At one point in the evening, Nneka Ogwumike declared Parker has a “penchant for disruption,” an intentional monicker that sums up the core of who the basketball player is and will continue to be.
“My first love was basketball. It’s scary when it ends. It doesn’t matter if you have things lined up. So, I just hope that other athletes that are ending their career know that you are valuable, your experience is extremely valuable, and we hope to prove that at Adidas,” Parker adds before we end our conversation.
