WNBA Legend Candace Parker on Marrying a Woman and the Self Doubt That Came With It: “We’re Lying to Ourselves Here!”

Candace Parker has been one of the biggest names in the WNBA. Joining her hometown team the Chicago Sky last season, Parker led them to their first championship in franchise history. Parker is a fearless athlete both on and off the court. From standing up to Shaquille O’Neal to being one of the greatest players, Parker has never backed down. However, when it comes to her love life, she faced the heat.

When Parker started her WNBA career in 2008, she was already deep in a relationship with her ex-husband, Shelden Williams. The number one draft pick tied the knot in November 2008. Incredibly, she played her entire rookie season while carrying her daughter, Lailaa. As the Ace cruised to win MVP honors in her first season, she gave birth in May 2009. However, after eight years together, the couple split up. Since then, Parker’s personal life was somewhat of a mystery. That was until 2021.

The Sky star revealed she married her wife, Anna Petrakova. But even one of the most fearless individuals faced a hard time coming to terms.

Candace Parker shares insights into marrying Anna

Parker has never been afraid to stand up for herself. She has broken barriers ever since stepping foot on the WNBA court. However, even the woman who dunked on Shaq went through challenges. And her biggest one was accepting a relationship with her now-wife, Petrakova. During a recent interview, the Russian basketball player spoke about their time together. Moreover, how it took the pair almost three years to finally accept their love.

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Petrakova explained, “You are kind of scared to look each other in the eye and then you’re like, ‘OK, well, what are we? We’re lying to ourselves here.’”

However, all the doubts soon came to be a clear picture. In 2019, the couple got married away from the public. Fearing discrimination, Petrakova didn’t want to reveal their status. But the birth of a child made the couple reveal their relationship. In 2021, Parker told the world about the birth of her second child. They welcomed their son, Airr in February 2022. Now the family of four continues on their loving journey together.

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As Candace Parker strives to keep creating history on the court, Petrakova makes it easier by being the MVP behind the scenes.