On the basketball floor, Candace Parker is a player to watch out for. Her skills are so good that she has won many awards, including two gold medals at the Olympics, two WNBA MVP awards, and a WNBA title.
But even though Parker is obviously talented, some people can’t help but be curious about her personal life. There has been a lot of talk about her sexuality in particular. Is Candace Parker gay? So let’s not waste any more time and find out if the WNBA star is gay or straight.
Is Candace Parker gay?
Yes, Candace Parker is openly gay. Since 2021, Candace Parker has been open about the fact that she is gay. On December 14, 2021, which was her second wedding anniversary with Anna Petrakova, she posted on Instagram that she was gay.
Parker wrote in the post, “I’ve always been private, but I’ve also always fought for LGBTQ+ rights. I think it’s time for me to talk more about myself. I’m so happy to be a part of this group, and I’m grateful to my family, friends, and fans for their love and support.
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Candace Parker’s Support for LGBTQ Community
Candace Parker has been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights for a long time. She spoke out against North Carolina’s HB2 law in 2015, which made it illegal for transgender people to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity. She also gave $10,000 to the Human Rights Campaign, a national group that fights for the rights of LGBTQ people.
Parker was one of the first pro athletes to sign the Athlete Ally pledge in 2017. This pledge says that athletes will use their platform to support freedom for LGBTQ people. She has also talked about how important it is for LGBTQ people to be represented in sports.
Who is Candace Parker’s Wife?
Candace Parker is married to Anna Petrakova. Anna Petrakova is a basketball player from Russia who plays the sport professionally. Since she started playing professionally in 2011, she’s been in the Russian league. Petrakova has also been at UMMC Ekaterinburg since 2015. During that season, they played together.
Parker didn’t tell anyone about her marriage to Petrakova until two years. She told the press that they were getting married on December 14, 2021 and that they were having a child.
Candace Parker told Essence in an interview that it was because of her daughter that she was able to talk about her marriage to Anna Petrakova. Here’s what Parker said:
“I tell my daughter all the time to be herself. I tell my daughter all the time to be happy with who she is. I always tell my daughter to speak up for herself and for the people she cares about.
“I can’t tell her that if I don’t do it myself,” she said. “I don’t want her to ever think that I’m not proud of our family or that I’m ashamed of it. We had to move in that direction. But we had to do it the way we wanted to.”
Parker and Petrakova didn’t tell each other how they felt right away because they didn’t think anyone else would ever marry them. In 2015, they got closer when they were both on the same team in Russia. Petrakova says that it took the two people three years to accept that they loved each other.
Candace Parker is a commentator for NBA games on TNT right now. She is thinking about how she can get back on the game for the 2023 WNBA season. Anna Petrakova has kept playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg in the meantime.
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Candace Parker’s Past Relationships
Parker got married to Shelden Williams on November 13, 2008. Williams played college basketball at Duke and also played in the NBA. They have a girl who was born in 2009. In 2013, the couple spent $3.56 million to buy a 7,000-square-foot home in Encino, Los Angeles.
In November 2016, after eight years of marriage, Williams filed for divorce, claiming “irreconcilable differences” Parker has also been linked to other sports, like former WNBA player Tamika Catchings and former NBA player Nick Young.
Many people, including those in the LGBTQ community, look up to Candace Parker. Young people who are dealing with their sexuality can look up to her. She also speaks out strongly for LGBTQ rights.
