WNBA star Candace Parker is having a year to remember — and it’s not just because she won a championship title with the Chicago Sky two months ago.
The 35-year-old former first-round pick took to Instagram on December 14 to announce she married former basketball player Anna Petrakova two years ago — and the couple is now expecting a baby. Petrakova, who represented Russia at the 2012 Summer Olympics, is pregnant.
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That heartwarming news made waves like any other family-related announcement — but Parker’s post especially drew attention because she had not previously revealed she was in a relationship with a woman. She was once married to NBA player Sheldon Williams and had a child with him.
“Happy Anniversary Моя жена! 2 years ago, I got to marry my best friend in front of our close family and friends,” Parker wrote on Instagram. “My heart could have exploded. I cried like a baby… To know me or you is to know our love. This journey hasn’t been easy. I am proud of us and what we have built and who we have grown to become both individually and together.”
Parker continued, “Thank you for always loving Lailaa as your own, being my calm, my support, my voice of reason, my laughs, my cuddles, my dance in the rain, my happy, my home… Thanks for constantly challenging me and telling me when I’m wrong. I LOVE YOU. I appreciate you, I value you and what we have.”
Parker is coming off her first season with the Sky after spending her first 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks. She has averaged 17 points, nine rebounds, and four assists per game in her career.
