A WNBA athlete, an entrepreneur and most recently the President of Adidas Women’s Basketball. Is there anything Candace Parker isn’t good at? Apparently not. However, if you ask her about the one role she would be the most proud of, it would be without a doubt being a mom to son Airr Larry and daughter Lailaa. And, perhaps that influences the decisions she makes outside of her personal sphere. An example of that was put forth by the 3× WNBA champion during a candid interview.

Eminent footwear industry journalist Nick DePaula picked the brains of President Parker to explore what’s in store for Adidas Women’s Basketball. One of the concluding points of this conversation was her insights on the evolution of design language for Adidas Women’s Basketball. To which she responds, “It’s important to note that you want to wear a basketball shoe off the court as well. You’re selling for fashion and lifestyle as well, and my daughter could care less about if something is comfortable. She’ll wear it if it looks good.” 

Apart from the comfort, the appearance of the footwear makes a compelling case for its sale. Apparently, Adidas has made quite a reputation for itself in that regard. And, with NBA icons like James Harden and Anthony Edwards taking some significant strides in that direction with their future-leading design approach, it won’t be surprising if in the future Parker introduces something similar with the help of some women stalwarts in the WNBA. And who better to be the inspiration behind such a vision than her daughter Lailaa?

“It’s super important for us to understand the power of how it looks,” Parker further adds. “Women have been at the forefront and led fashion for a really long time. We’re hoping that we can create something futuristic and put the marketing dollars from the brand behind it to make sure that it succeeds.” 

Meanwhile, Candace Parker also shared some inputs on what is the current standing of the brand in the league. In addition to this, she also shares a thought or two on how Adidas has impacted the sport.

Candace Parker connecting Adidas to the WNBA

While many would believe that Adidas is playing second fiddle to Nike in the WNBA, Candace Parker believes differently. According to her, in terms of transforming the league by elevating the influence of women athletes and empowering more women in leadership positions, the brand with the three stripes has the potential to spearhead it.

Emphasizing that, Parker conveyed, “The main conversations have been around the importance as a brand of how we can best position ourselves to lead the charge in that. As a brand, we were always at the forefront. Adidas went from sponsoring the league to having a stacked roster.” 

Further, Candace Parker also believes that the signature trend is an invention of Adidas. The fact that other brands have followed it and made it more popular doesn’t in any way undermine its contributions. “Adidas was one of the very first brands to have a signature shoe for a woman,” Parker said. “Now, it’s the popular thing to do, and it’s the no-brainer, but back then, it wasn’t. It was an investment. To be able to be a part of a brand that saw that vision long before others did, it’s exciting for the future.” 

Some exciting things are expected from Adidas now that Candace Parker is in charge. Her aptitude and understanding of what women’s basketball needs will be instrumental in its future growth. What will she bring to the table in the upcoming days?

Stay tuned for more such updates. And join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show”. Our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.