Odds are this is going to be one tall child.
Candace Parker, the brightest star of the Los Angeles Sparks and the WNBA, will miss at least the start of the upcoming season to give birth to her first child, it was announced yesterday. Parker, 6-4, is married to Sacramento Kings forward Sheldon Williams, 6-9.
While the couple did not officially announce a due date, the Sparks confirmed that the child is due around May.
The Sparks themselves do not tip off the season until June 6. It is possible that Parker could return to the Sparks by the end of the season, although no discussions along those lines have taken place, according to the Sparks.
Her return would be big for the WNBA.
The league continues to lose money and struggle for fans, and their marketing campaign tactics basically mirror those of the NBA — promote the heck out of your stars. And right now there is no bigger star than the fresh-faced Parker, who was the first WNBA player ever to be both rookie of the year and MVP in the same season. She helped Tennesee to a national championship and the USA to a gold medal in Beijing.
This is not the first time the Sparks have had their star player out due to a pregnancy. In 2007, Lisa Leslie missed the entire season to give birth to her daughter.
