Candace Parker knows Los Angeles Sparks basketball.
The soon-to-be Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer was drafted No. 1 overall by Los Angeles in the 2008 WNBA Draft. Parker won the 2016 championship and 2016 WNBA Finals MVP with the Sparks and spent the first 13 years of her all-time career in Los Angeles before finishing with the Chicago Sky (2021, ’22) and Las Vegas Aces (2023).
Two of her former teams executed a player-for-player trade last Sunday. The Sparks sent 2024 No. 4 overall pick Rickea Jackson to the Sky in exchange for two-time All-Star Ariel Atkins.
Parker had thoughts.
“I think Ariel Atkins fits what the Sparks are gonna do,” Parker said on her “Post Moves” podcast with Indiana Fever All-Star Aliyah Boston. “I think Rickea Jackson is the player that you build around. He’s a straight hooper. And so, to trade her in a straight-up [player swap] with Ariel Atkins? To me — like I said, time will tell.”
Parker added:”I like Rickea there [in Chicago], and that’s somebody you want to build around. Maybe it’s because of the numbers with the Sparks that they couldn’t make it work, but I just think for Rickea Jackson — ugh! She’s one of those players you make it work.”
In the WNBA free agency frenzy last weekend, the Sparks re-signed All-Star guard Kelsey Plum for $999,999, and it was reported that Plum agreed to forego the $1.4 million supermax in order to help the Sparks build out a contender.
Los Angeles also signed perennial All-Star and 2016 WNBA MVP Nneka Ogwumike, who won the 2016 WNBA Finals alongside Parker with the Sparks, and re-signed All-Star forward Dearica Hamby on a three-year, fully guaranteed deal worth approximately $3.5 million (via ESPN).
The Sparks are trying to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Their 2026 season will open against the Aces on May 10.
Watch Boston and Parker’s full WNBA free agency segment below.
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