2-time WNBA MVP re-signs with Aces after injury-shortened season

The Aces re-signed two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker, a missing piece late last season when they won their second straight title.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to play the game I love while competing alongside my teammates and coaches,” Parker said in a statement. “My family and I are excited to be back in Las Vegas and ready for another great season.”

The 37-year-old seven-time All-Star averaged 9.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 2023, her first season with the Aces, as they got off to a 16-2 start. But she underwent left foot surgery and was sidelined the rest of the season.

The Aces ultimately went 34-6 to set the league record for single-season victories. They beat New York in four games in the WNBA Finals.

A 6-foot-4-inch forward/center, Parker spent her first 13 WNBA seasons with Los Angeles, which made her the first pick of the 2008 draft. She then joined Chicago as a free agent in 2021 and played two seasons with the Sky before signing with the Aces last February.

Parker, who won titles in 2016 with the Sparks and in 2021 with the Sky, has averaged 16.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 16 WNBA seasons.

“Her leadership and court presence are invaluable to our team,” Aces general manager Natalie Williams said in a statement. “We look forward to having her incredible skill set and contagious energy back on the floor.”

Wilson to coach celebrities

Aces forward A’ja Wilson and Grammy Award-winning recording artist Lil Wayne will be assistant coaches on ESPN NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith’s team in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, set for 4 p.m. Feb. 16 in Indianapolis.

Smith’s team will play a team coached by Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe. Sharpe’s assistants will be Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and Grammy Award-winning recording artist Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson.