Diana Taurasi, who’s playing in her twentieth WNBA season, didn’t officially announce her retirement on Thursday night after the Phoenix Mercury's final game of the season against the Seattle Storm. But the Mercury icon hinted in her speech to the house crowd that her end may very well be imminent.

“If it's the last time, it felt like the first time,” Taurasi said as the group chanted “one more year.”

“I love you guys.”

Taurasi played 18 minutes on Thursday because the Mercury lost 89-70 to the Storm. She scored nine points, added one rebound and two assists. With 3:11 left within the fourth quarter, fans on the Footprint Center stood up and called for Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts to bring Taurasi back into the sport. The first-year coach complied. Taurasi returned to the sport, blew a kiss and clapped for the group, who showered her with cheers.

It was a 10-second curtain call for Mercury fans to point out their appreciation for a historic player in what may very well be her final home game. As Taurasi left the sphere, fans chanted, “One more year.”

Diana Taurasi is back and the group is having fun with every second of it

— WNBA (@WNBA) 20 September 2024

When the match ended, the lights within the seating areas dimmed while Taurasi stood within the highlight at center court. Before she addressed the group, a tribute video for Taurasi played on the screen above. It was the identical video that the Mercury social media account posted on X on Thursday afternoon, hinting at a possible announcement of her retirement.

Taurasi thanked town of Phoenix, a spot she called “home,” and praised her teammates and coaches, in addition to the fans who supported her profession.

Dear Dee –

Love,
We all pic.twitter.com/SnO1q10Fdp

— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) 19 September 2024

“I want to thank every single coach, every single player, every single person that has put on a WNBA jersey because it takes a whole village,” Taurasi said. “For everyone who played before this league that is now where it is – we are grateful for you and we are grateful for the next generation.”

Several high-profile athletes and coaches attended what could also be Taurasi's final game, including four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird, world champion and Olympic gold medalist Megan Rapinoe, UConn coach Geno Auriemma, UConn coach Chris Dailey, Phoenix Suns shooting guard Damion Lee, small forward Josh Okogie and Taurasi's parents Mario and Lilliana.

If Taurasi's WNBA profession were to finish on Thursday, she would depart the game with a jam-packed resume. She has won three championships, is the league's all-time leading scorer, won six gold medals with Team USA and appeared within the WNBA All-Star Game 11 times. Her records include being the primary WNBA player to attain 10,000 profession points, being the oldest player within the NBA or WNBA to attain 40 points in a game and her total points (10,646 points).

The Mercury made the playoffs after missing the playoffs last 12 months for the primary time in a decade, but Thursday night was about Taurasi, her likely departure and a probability for the Phoenix crowd to have a good time considered one of the franchise's most completed players.

Required reading

Most discussions about retirement concentrate on the financial elements of leaving the workforce: “How to save enough for retirement” or “How to know if you have enough money for retirement?”

But that is probably not the largest issue facing prospective retirees. For some employees, the deeper questions of meaning, relevance and identity that retirement can bring are more significant.

Work has develop into the middle of recent American identityas Journalist Derek Thompson complains in The Atlantic. And some theorists have argued that work shapes us. For most individuals, as business ethicists Al Gini argues that one’s own work – which is often also the job – means greater than a paycheckWork can structure our friendships, our understanding of ourselves and others, our ideas about leisure, our types of entertainment – ​​indeed, our entire lives.

I teaching a philosophy course in regards to the selfand I find that almost all of my students think in regards to the identity issues without interested by how a job makes them a certain type of person. They think mostly in regards to the prestige and pay that include certain jobs, or where jobs are situated. But after we get to Existentialist philosophers like for instance Jean Paul Sartre And Simone de BeauvoirI often ask them to take into consideration what it means to say, because the existentialists do: that “you are what you do.”

How you spend 40 years of your life, I tell them, not less than 40 hours per week – the period of time many individuals spend working – just isn’t only a financial decision. And I've realized that retirement just isn’t only a financial decision either as I take into consideration this next phase of my life.

Usefulness, tools and freedom

For Greek and Roman philosophers Leisure was nobler than workThe lifetime of a craftsman or artist – or perhaps a university professor or lawyer – was to be avoided if wealth allowed it.

The good life was a life not driven by the necessity to supply goods or earn money. Work, Aristotle said, was an obstacle to the attainment of the actual types of excellence characteristic of human life, equivalent to thought, contemplation, and study – Activities that express The special character of man and are done for their very own sake.

One might assume, then, that retirement would supply individuals with the leisure time essential to human excellence. Yet today's retirement doesn’t appear to encourage the leisure time dedicated to the event of human excellence, partially since it follows an extended period of self-objectification – something that doesn’t come free of charge.

The German philosopher Immanuel Kant distinguished between the worth of objects and that of subjects through the concept of ​​”use”. Objects are usually not free: they’re designed for use, like tools – their value is tied to their usefulness. But rational beings like humans, who’re subjects, are greater than their use value – They are precious in themselvesin contrast to tools.

And yet much of latest work culture encourages employees to take into consideration themselves and their value by way of their utility valuea change that might have led each Kant and the traditional Greek and Roman philosophers to wonder why people didn’t retire as soon as possible.

“What we do is what we are”

But as considered one of my colleagues said after I asked him about retirement, “If I'm not a college professor, what am I?” Another friend, who retired at 59, told me that she doesn't prefer to call herself a retiree, although she is. “Retirement means being useless,” she said.

Retiring, then, just isn’t nearly giving up a chance to earn money; it’s a deeply existential query that challenges one's self-image, one's place on this planet, and one's usefulness.

One could say, with Kant and the ancients, that those of us who’ve intertwined our identity with our occupation have made ourselves tools, and that we must always throw off these shackles by retiring as soon as possible. And perhaps, from the surface, that’s true.

But from the participant's perspective, it's harder to withstand the concept that we’ve got develop into who we’re through our actions. Rather than worrying about our funds, after we take into consideration retirement, we needs to be more concerned about what the great life should appear to be for creatures like us – those now free from our jobs.

John Sterling could come out of retirement to commentate on the New York Yankees' postseason, in line with sources briefed to WFAN on the Yankees and Sterling's plans.

Earlier this season in April, 86-year-old Sterling retired from the team after 36 years. The Yankees held a farewell ceremony for him. A trio of Rickie Ricardo, Justin Shackil and Emmanuel Berbari replaced him.

This week, Sterling made a transient appearance within the Yankees' locker room, joining analyst Suzyn Waldman on stage as a commentator for several innings.

He is anticipated to seek advice from Chris Oliviero, president of Audacy New York, in the following few days whether he’ll return for the playoffs, in line with an individual briefed on the plans. Oliviero, who runs WFAN, has not yet officially asked Sterling.

“The ball is in their court,” Sterling said. “You'd have to ask. I'd feel sorry for the guys who have been at the games all year.”

Oliviero declined to comment.

While it's possible that WFAN and the Yankees could get Sterling to play in home playoff games, early indications from people briefed on the talks suggest he would must commit to all home and away playoff games. Travel was a serious reason Sterling resigned in April. He said by phone Thursday that the playoff scheduling makes that aspect easier.

When he returns, Sterling could commentate on a number of regular season games in preparation.

Regardless of whether he returns in October or not, Sterling is anticipated to retire after the season.

The Yankees and WFAN would then consider Ricardo, Shackil and Berbari for the job while conducting a nationwide search.

Recently, WFAN and the Yankees asked FS1 “Breakfast Ball” co-host Craig Carton to commentate on some games. Although Carton will not be a full-time candidate, team and radio officials liked what they heard and would invite him back. That likely won't occur this season, as Carton's “Breakfast Ball” responsibilities kick into high gear in September.

Required reading

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will not be the one examples of politicians working into their golden years. Members of the newborn boomer generation – Americans born between 1946 and 1964 – are the most quite a few in the homeand within the Senate they outnumber the legislators of all other generations combined.

Overall, two-thirds of US Senators and almost half of the members of the House of Representatives Entitlement to full old-age pension through the pension system for federal employees. And yet they proceed to work. The 4 Supreme Court judges over 65 years of age.

You will not be alone. If you might have the alternative, Americans appear to prefer working more quite than lessThis applies to their weekly and annual working hours in addition to to the They spend their lives working. To 1 in 5 Americans over 65 worksalthough they’ve passed the purpose at which they’re entitled to full old-age pension and social security payments.

The proportion of older people within the working population is increasing, even though it is unclear how a lot of them still stamp because they need and what number of cannot afford to stop because Holes within the US security net.

As Historian and anthropologist of medication within the USAI actually have spent years researching how American adults generally voted to earn higher wages as a substitute of reducing their working hours.

I consider that Biden’s Decision to retire after years in public service offers a possibility to reflect on what’s at stake for society when so many individuals over 65 years of age proceed to workespecially in outstanding roles.

Retirement conventions in other countries

Maybe not for politicians, but in lots of professions, fewer hours are needed today to realize the identical level of performance as a century ago, due to Advances in manufacturing and computing.

Still, Hardly anyone reduces their workload Despite these efficiency gains. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a government agency, most full-time employees within the United States report about 40 hours of labor per week.

Many Europeans work shorter hours, take longer holidays and more generous pensions from their governments than their US counterparts. It isn’t any coincidence that the support of Retirement at 65 years or earlier, enjoys broad support within the European Union.

In the United States, the later retirement age is partly attributable to political changes. For Americans born in 1960 or later, The nationwide retirement age has been raised to 67 years from 65. This also includes the tip of those that are the newborn boomwho turn 65 between 2025 and 2028. Retirees who’re entitled to social advantages can receive a lower amount at age 62 and shall be rewarded with higher amounts Social security advantages in the event that they work until the age of 70.

As economist Dora Costa writes in her book:The development of retirement“The convention of a set retirement age emerged at first of the twentieth century in consequence of actuarial data on life expectancy and the introduction of pension and social insurance systems.

Ageing and health

To ensure, everyone ages in another wayand there are advantages to society when older people remain in employment after their sixty fifth birthday, including institutional memory and workplace experience.

The advantages of working in old age are sometimes debated. In some cases, research supports the Benefits some people gain from working after age 65But research also supports the Importance of hobbies and their health-promoting effects. It is obvious that Stay lively in old age is an important thing to remain healthy in old age.

However, there are also some disadvantages related to health problems in old age.

For example, routine illnesses outsized impact on aging bodiesand recovery from injuries and illnesses can take longer for those over 65 than for younger adults. This can mean long periods of time when an worker is unable to do their job.

Cognitive abilities can hardly decrease for some people, while others experience the dramatic changes in reference to age-related dementia.

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to find out who should really retire in the event that they don’t volunteer, because cognitive tests not all the time reliableThey often judge the Skills required to take the exam and never the underlying capacities.

For example, hearing tests inadvertently assess listening comprehension by attempting to Measure the power to recollect a sequence of words. Many tests functionally test an individual's personality quite than their cognitive abilities. People with certain personality types may hide their cognitive changes. In addition, bias in assessing cognitive changes is usually based on the Experience of the examiner in coping with the examinee.

Except in cases where someone is experiencing obvious changes of their cognitive performance and skill to interact with others, the argument that somebody must retire is usually rooted in ableist assumptions.

Social security concerns

When the necessity to retire someone is dependent upon their perceived ability to do the job, that call becomes unnecessarily biased. In my view, establishing a compulsory retirement age would offer a neutral mechanism to be certain that retirement from public service is smoother than it was for Biden.

Many older Americans who work beyond 65 accomplish that because they can not afford to retire. The cost of living, including those related to longevity, has outpaced the support provided by Social Security advantages. The poverty rate amongst adults over 65 is much higher than in Europe.

But just about all politicians and officials within the USA can stop working at 65 or shortly thereafter. They have the advantage of Pension system for federal employees and federal employees Savings planwhich some economists argue could function a job model for everybody else. Although they may exit their profession without financial worries, a lot of these leaders and employees stay within the job long after they leave.

If the United States were to introduce a compulsory retirement age for all federal employees, it might at the very least spare those Americans the difficult conversations about mental capability that a lot of us must have as we age.

In the meantime, Biden's decision to retire provides a possibility to think together about when Americans should retire.

Chinese staff may soon need to work longer hours.

At the top of July 2024, China’s ruling Communist Party passed a resolution raising the country’s statutory retirement age gradual increase over the subsequent five years.

The final retirement age has not been set, but An earlier official report suggests The age might be around 65 years.

This would make the country more in step with other major economiesincluding the USA. Currently, China has one in all the bottom retirement ages Worldwide, it’s 60 years for men and 55 years for girls in white-collar jobs and 50 years for girls in blue-collar jobs.

The party leadership has been occupied with reforming the Chinese pension system for years. But the apparent urgency reflects growing concern in regards to the impact of a shrinking – and the ageing – of the population can have on the country’s shrinking pension funds.

The funds put aside to cover pension costs in China are likely completely used up by 2035predicted the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences a number of years ago.

Raising the retirement age will undoubtedly cover the funds for a number of additional years.

But it would not be a everlasting solution – and it does nothing to serious demographic problems that China is facing.

I actually have examined China's population for over 40 years; I consider that the demographic problem China is currently facing is some of the serious problems the country has faced in centuries.

With a Fertility rate of 1.1 children per woman – far below the two.1 births per woman required to keep up the native population – and more deaths per 12 months than birthsChina's future is a time of population decline and an enormous increase within the variety of elderly people. The problem is exacerbated by the incontrovertible fact that China just isn’t giving up on the thought of Supplementing the native population through immigration; only 0.1% of the population was born abroad – that is the smallest percentage every major country on the planet.

Demographers know the shrinkage

For most of its existence, communist China was characterised by population growth.

In 1950, a number of months after the Founding of the People's Republic of ChinaThe country's population was 539 million. It then increased yearly for nearly 70 years, reaching 1.43 billion in 2021.

But at this point the height had been reached. In the next years, China had more deaths than births and lost population. In addition, United Nations population forecastsindicate that if current trends proceed, China's population will fall below one billion in 2070, below 800 million in 2086, and to 633 million by 2100.

This represents a lack of greater than half of the present population in about 75 years. Such a drastic population decline would have a devastating impact on the workforce and cause untold economic problems.

Older and smaller

But it just isn’t just the decline in total numbers that’s the problem. Perhaps much more worrying is the changing composition of the population.

According to UN figures, by 2023, almost 20 percent of China's population shall be of retirement age of 60 or older. But by 2100, this proportion is anticipated to rise to an astonishing 52 percent.

The data also shows that currently around 12 percent of China's population are young staff aged between 20 and 29, while 46 percent are older staff aged between 30 and 59. But by 2100, this share of the workforce is anticipated to drop dramatically, to only over 7 percent for young staff and around 29 percent for those aged 30 to 59.

Similarly, in China, the number of kids and young adults aged 19 and under will fall from 21 percent in 2023 to 11 percent in 2100.

In short, China's population projections don’t bode well for the country's future. There shall be fewer staff to take care of a growing variety of dependents, especially the elderly.

But China's plans to boost the retirement age will only barely alleviate the issues related to these trends. Raising the retirement age won’t slow China's population decline, nor will it change the ratio of working to non-working adults little or no.

The need for migration

However, there’s something that may mitigate this trend: immigration.

Many of the world's major countries with very low birth rates depending on international migration young staff – and these young immigrants even have more babies than the natives. Compare, for instance, China’s low rate of 0.1% foreign-born Almost 14% of foreigners born within the United States And 18% in GermanyEven the East Asian countries Japan and South Korea have a better proportion of foreign-born people than China. at 2% And 3.7% or.

The Chinese government has made several attempts to implement policies to extend the birth rate, but these haven’t worked. In fact, demographers agree that such “pronatalist” policies are generally ineffective.

However, it would not be easy to search out a job in China, a rustic with little immigration experience and a seemingly deep-rooted belief in racial purity shared by many managers in the Communist Party.

There might be resistance to immigration from the Chinese population. Young Chinese staff could be those most affected by an increase in immigration numbers. In the early years of a policy encouraging mass immigration, some Chinese would lose their jobs and need to search for work elsewhere. This could be particularly the case for young staff.

But typically, immigrants seek employment in occupations that the native population doesn’t prefer – sometimes known as “three Ds jobs”, or those which might be dirty, dangerous and degrading. This is the case in most European countries and within the USA

And the choice could be much more painful for China in the long term. Unless an lively immigration policy is implemented, by the start of the subsequent century China shall be half the scale it’s today and shall be one in all the oldest countries – if not the oldest country – on the planet.

Beijing is already facing the strain of those trends, which is why pension reforms are essential. But without the influx of young immigrants, China's problems shall be much worse.

---

Certificates of deposit function a short-term savings tool for goals reminiscent of upcoming home or automotive purchases. If you're nearing or retiring, you could be wondering whether CDs will slot in there.

For risk-averse people, CDs may be attractive. Security is of key importance to them: CDs offer predictable returns, government deposit insurance and no value volatility like within the stock market.

“CDs are like a big, comfortable hug in the world of investing,” says Noah Damsky, licensed financial analyst and founding father of Marina Wealth Advisors in Los Angeles.

However, CDs usually are not essentially the most flexible, low-risk savings option. Here are some quick recommendations on what to do and what to not do when using CDs for retirement.

Do: Focus on short-term excess funds for CDs

Whether you're nearing retirement or not, a Emergency fund is a priority for short-term savings. A standard advice is to place three to 6 months or more of living expenses into a daily savings account.

CDs usually are not suitable for emergencies because they require you to lock in a set amount for a selected time frame, typically between three months and five years. However, it could make sense to place more money reserves beyond emergency savings in CDs, especially since their returns are traditionally higher than other bank accounts.

“CDs play an important role as a supplement to an emergency fund in retirement,” says Daniel Masuda Lehrman, certified financial planner and founding father of Masuda Lehrman Wealth in Honolulu.

Do: Consider a CD ladder

A CD's fixed rate of interest in a high rate of interest environment can mean stable, solid returns for years to return. In return, nevertheless, you lose access to funds for the duration.

A workaround to retain some access is a CD conductor. Instead of a CD, you divide an investment into equal amounts and place them in CDs with staggered terms, reminiscent of CDs. B. one yr, two years and three years. Shorter terms also work: three months, six months and nine months. The idea is that each time a CD matures, you may access some money while allowing the remainder of your investment to grow.

Do: Compare rates of interest at banks or a broker

Your bank's CDs could also be convenient, but they're not all the time the most effective deal. Online banks and credit unions are likely to have a few of the most effective CD rates, and their starting minimum deposits are sometimes low, like $1,000 or less. According to an April NerdWallet evaluation, current high-yield rates for six-month and one-year terms are at or above the 5% annual percentage yield, while longer-term rates like three- and five-year rates are closer to 4%.

You can even achieve competitive returns with brokered CDs issued by banks and available from a broker. However, you’ll need a brokerage account and a few understanding of how these CDs work.

“A brokered CD will be most valuable to someone who has significant wealth,” says David John, senior strategic policy advisor on the AARP Public Policy Institute. John points to a brokerage firm's ability to spread funds across multiple financial institutions to make sure customers don't get into trouble Cap $250,000 for federal deposit insurance, which protects your money if a bank fails.

Not: Take off early

In general, you can not redeem CDs early without hassle or expense. At banks, early withdrawals from CDs are sometimes related to a Penalty, reminiscent of B. Interest income value months to years. A bank may assist you to withdraw interest early from a CD, but you’ll lose the complete amount a CD can earn through compound interest.

Brokers assist you to exit a CD early by selling it, but you risk losing a few of the original value if current prices are higher than your CD's price.

Once a CD expires, there may be a grace period, typically seven to 10 days, during which you’ll be able to withdraw the whole amount without penalty. Alternatively, you may consider a no-penalty CD, although rates of interest are likely to be lower than high-yield CDs at the identical bank.

Not: Forget to pay taxes on interest

For many of the last decade, CD rates of interest were at all-time low levels and the tax burden on CD interest was minimal. But that has modified with higher tariffs in recent times.

“Sometimes people forget that you can have significant tax implications with that money in a CD,” Damsky says.

CD interest is taxed at the identical rate as regular income for the yr through which you earned that interest. For example, if you have got $10,000 in a one-year CD with 5% APR, you'll be taxed on the interest on $500. However, you may reduce your tax burden with IRA CDs, that are tax-advantaged accounts invested in CDs.

Don't: Don't invest an excessive amount of money in CDs

One of the most important mistakes Damsky sees retirees make is becoming too risk-averse in terms of investing, particularly through overuse of CDs. Sometimes the pitfalls of CDs, reminiscent of the shortage of flexibility and access to funds in comparison with other low-risk alternatives, can outweigh the advantages, he says.

Low-risk investment alternatives to CDs, reminiscent of Money market capital, can achieve comparable returns and supply brokerage clients with easier access to money. And inside an investment portfolio, stocks and bonds play a bigger role over time than investments like CDs. Historically, stocks have offered the best likelihood of strong returns, while bonds offset the volatility of stocks with greater stability. As John points out, CDs often cannot protect against inflation as completely as other investments.

Don't rule out CDs for retirement planning – just know when to make use of them.

Spencer Tierney writes for NerdWallet. Email: spencer.tierney@nerdwallet.com.

The Alliance for Lifetime Income (ALI) released a study with a striking headline: Two-thirds of baby boomers at the highest aren’t financially prepared for retirement.

However, results from EBRI's 2024 Retirement Confidence Survey (RCS) found that “two-thirds of workers and three-quarters of retirees are very or somewhat confident that they will have enough money to live comfortably in retirement.”

Two retirement surveys, two different results?

Not so fast. The ALI survey measures retirement numbers, while EBRI asks how we feel about our retirement readiness, and there generally is a gap between the 2.

ALI focused on “peak boomers,” defined as those Americans who will turn 65 between 2024 and 2030, of which there are 30.4 million. According to the study, greater than half of those soon-to-retire retirees will rely totally on Social Security, which should replace about 40 percent of annual pre-retirement income.

ALI dug deeper to find out whether the collected wealth (the common retirement savings for top boomers is $225,000) would boost Social Security and last as long as 20 or more years in retirement. The answer is that two-thirds of top boomers “will be challenged to maintain their lifestyle in retirement.”

Conversely, the RCS asked people how confident they were that they could lead on a cushty life in retirement. While 68% are confident, only about half have checked out the numbers. If this were the case, the outcomes may very well be just like ALI's, as “a significant percentage of workers report that they have very little or no money for savings and investments.”

47 percent say the overall value of their savings and investments, excluding the worth of their primary residence, is lower than $100,000. (RCS relies on worker self-reporting; EBRI relies on Federal Reserve data.)

Ultimately, the 2 polls may very well be closer together than their respective headlines suggest. The concept that tens of millions of Americans face an uncertain retirement reality is the main target of a brand new book by economist and creator Teresa Ghilarducci. In Work, Retire, Repeat: The Uncertainty of Retirement within the New Economy, Ghilarducci digs into the numbers and finds a two-tier retirement system by which only “21% of Americans ages 62 to 70 come up with the money for to take care of their way of life “retired.” Of the 79%, “51% are retired but cannot maintain their standard of living before retirement.” And the remaining, 28%, are working and can’t afford to retire.”

You may be wondering why these people didn't save more or work longer.

Ghilarducci says, “Most retirees complain that they’re retiring sooner than planned because they were laid off, forced out of the workforce, or because their health or their spouse's health pushed them out of the workforce.”

I have spoken to many of these people and found that they were not spendthrifts, but were often unlucky and had to find lower paying jobs to meet their obligations.

For those facing an uncertain retirement, getting the most out of the Social Security system should be a priority. Although you can begin collecting benefits at age 62, doing so will permanently reduce your income for the rest of your life. This can also impact a non-working spouse who relies on your records for their benefits.

Instead, people should try to wait until full retirement age, which is 67 for anyone born after 1960, or until age 70, when pension maximization is reached.

This allows you to receive credits for later retirement, increasing benefits by 8% per year. Ghilarducci says these loans are “the perfect financial offer on the planet…in case you wait to assert them at age 62 to 70, your monthly lifetime pension increases by greater than 30%.”

Candace Parker all the time said she would know when it was time to retire. That day got here on Sunday.

The three-time WNBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist announced on social media that her profession was over after 16 seasons.

“The competitor in me still wants one, but it’s time,” Parker wrote an Instagram post. “My HEART and my body knew it, but I had to give my mind time to accept it.”

Parker, 38, had said The Associated Press in November she desired to play one other season if she could get healthy a foot injury That kept them off the sphere last season. However, she warned against cheating “the game” or herself, and expressed the identical when announcing her retirement before the Aces try and win a 3rd straight title. Parker has had ten surgeries throughout her profession.

“I promised that I would never cheat in the game and that I would leave it in a better place than when I came in. … I always wanted to leave the square without a parade or a tour, just privately with those I love,” she wrote. “What was supposed to be my last game, I left the pitch with my daughter. I ended the journey the same way I started it, with her.”

Parker played her first 13 seasons within the league with the Los Angeles Sparks, establishing her dominance early because the No. 1 pick, winning Rookie of the Year and league MVP in the identical season. Parker was the one WNBA player to realize this feat. He averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and three.4 assists while helping the Sparks to a 10-win improvement in 2008.

Parker earned her second MVP award in 2013 and won her first title with the Sparks in 2016.

“We are deeply grateful for the remarkable contributions that Candace Parker has made to the Los Angeles Sparks and the sport of basketball as a whole,” Eric Holoman, managing partner and governor of the Los Angeles Sparks, said in a press release. “She will forever be enshrined in Sparks history – from their outstanding MVP and Rookie of the Year seasons to their lead in the 2016 WNBA Championship and the way she revolutionized the game has. Her impact on the community and her ability to inspire will always be felt here in LA. From my many conversations with her about life after basketball, I am confident she will be just as successful in the boardroom.”

She would win a second title with the Chicago Sky in 2021 and a 3rd with the Las Vegas Aces last season. She is the one player in league history to win a championship with three different teams.

“The memories Candace Parker created for a generation of female basketball fans will forever remain embedded in our collective consciousness, but she gave much more to the game than her accolades and statistics,” the Aces said in a press release. “As a teammate and mentor, mother and wife, ballplayer, broadcaster and businesswoman, she has inspired countless young people, boys and girls, to pursue and achieve their dreams.”

Parker played for the late Pat Summitt's last two national championship teams at Tennessee in 2007 and 2008. She then left the corporate with one yr of eligibility remaining.

She won Olympic gold medals in 2008 and 2012 before being surprisingly left off the team in 2016.

“I think Candace has obviously had an amazing career. I'm a little sad about it because you love competing against her, the legend that she is,” said Liberty star Breanna Stewart. “What she did on and off the field was great for our league. I appreciate everything she has done to help me get to where I am. We will definitely miss them this season.”

Liberty coach Sandy Brondello coached Parker overseas in Russia for several years throughout the winter.

Parker began working in broadcasting during her playing profession. She has worked as an NCAA Tournament analyst for CBS Sports and for NBA TV.

She had surgery on her foot in July 2023 and told the AP that it still caused her pain late last yr.

“This offseason hasn’t been fun if you don’t cooperate,” she wrote in her post on Sunday. “My life's mission, as Pat Summitt always said, is to 'pursue people and passions and you will never fail.'” Being a wife and mother remains to be a top priority and I've learned that point flies, so I plan to enjoy my family to the fullest!”