Candace Parker chats fitness accessibility and more

Candace Parker is a seven-time WNBA All Star, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a two-time WNBA MVP. And this week, she’s also behind the unveiling of a brand-new outdoor fitness court—named the Muscle Milk Fitness Court—at D.H. Stanton Park in southeast Atlanta.

The court is the result of a collaboration between Parker, Muscle Milk and the National Fitness Campaign, and will serve as a local community destination open 24/7 for full-body workouts—no membership required.

In an exclusive interview, Candace Parker told Swish Appeal she’s excited by the opportunity to increase accessibility to fitness and wellness in Atlanta. Los Angeles, Atlanta and Orlando were the three cities selected as finalists to be the home of the fitness court, and ultimately, Atlanta was chosen by a public vote last summer. Parker said:

You never know who’s going to come to the court who wouldn’t have ordinarily worked out. That’s the biggest thing. Yeah, we could talk about professional athletes and all that. But I think it’s just the everyday health and wellness, and being able to have access to something that every community should be able to have access to.

At the unveiling, Atlanta City Council member Jason Winston declared March 13 “Candace Parker Day” in recognition of her illustrious basketball and broadcasting careers, and significant off-court contributions. Along with delineating Parker’s long list of collegiate and professional basketball accomplishments, Winston said:

This proclamation is the highest honor that can be bestowed by the Atlanta city council. This proclamation acknowledges your dedication to wellness, accessibility, and community service—qualities that embody the spirit of this initiative, and qualities that resonate deeply with the values of our city.

Parker has enjoyed an incredible athletic career. She led the Tennessee Lady Vols to two NCAA championships, captured two Olympic gold medals as a core member of Team USA and has won three WNBA championships with three different organizations. She’s also the only player in WNBA history to earn Most Valuable Player honors in her rookie season, and the second player ever to dunk in a WNBA game.

Now a member of the Las Vegas Aces, Parker is at the tail end of her playing career, and doubling as an analyst and commentator for “NBA on TNT.” She considers it a privilege to be able to simultaneously do both, but also recognizes that it is the pay disparity between the WNBA and NBA that makes doing so necessary. Her 2024 WNBA salary is $100,000; in contrast, the NBA veteran minimum stands at $2.72 million. Parker said:

To be able to do both jobs, it’s something that I really love. But I also think that there’s a conversation of having to do both jobs that is gender-based, for sure. My goal is to continue to open doors for the next generation and to continue to do what I love. Obviously, I love calling games and I love being in the studio, but I don’t think we see many NBA players doing both, so it’s definitely gender-based.

At the same time, she’s grateful for the increased opportunities she’s had as a woman playing basketball in the 2000s. The league was founded in 1997, and Parker was drafted in 2008. “At the end of the day, we have a league, the WNBA, that I’m able to play in, that Cheryl Miller wasn’t able to play in,” Parker said. “Every generation is about opening more doors.”

Most recently, it’s been Iowa’s Caitlin Clark who has garnered widespread national attention and helped elevate the spotlight on women’s basketball. Parker is glad that Clark—who is averaging 31.9 points per game on 46 percent shooting for the Hawkeyes—is pulling in more viewers and helping to expand opportunities for the women’s game. As Parker put it:

Everybody’s gone through the hype machine. And we talk about that, and it’s the staying power of it within the sport, to me. The names may change, but to me, it’s putting the sport at the forefront. We’ve seen it in the NFL, we’ve seen in the NBA and how certain players come in, and yes, they’re still going to be remembered—but it’s about raising the game and that’s what’s most important to me.

The Muscle Milk Fitness Court is one small step in Parker’s mission to inspire and promote physical wellness and opportunity. The court has seven zones for visitors to cycle through, including core, squats, lunges, agility circuits and more.

Parker said promoting strength-building, particularly in communities where gyms might not be as accessible, is a priority of hers. The partnership with Muscle Milk, Gatorade and the Lifting Project works to ensure that local community members have the opportunity to work out and train at no cost, anytime. Parker emphasized:

No matter what level you are, inner and outer strength is important. To have something like this out here—adults, kids, whoever can come out here and do yoga, lift, do all those things—it’s super special because I remember what it was like when I was younger to have that.

At the unveiling of the court, Atlanta became the second US city to declare a “Candace Parker Day;” the city of Chicago proclaimed September 16 “Candace Parker Day” in 2021. Parker reflected on her long journey from high school phenom to WNBA legend, noting how she is now in position to inspire others. Parker shared:

To be able to have the coaches, and the mentors, and the people that helped me get to where I’m at was important. There were so many people that paved the way and provided an opportunity for me at the beginning. You may not inspire the person that’s going to change things, but you may inspire the person that inspires the person that changes things.

Thanks to Atlanta-based photographer Christina Merrion for capturing photos and videos from the event for Swish Appeal.