Candace Parker and Her 12-Year-Old Daughter Lailaa Are Making Big Moves in the Sports World
Published Aug. 9 2021, 2:59 p.m. ET
Basketball star Candace Parker has accomplished a lot over her career. The winner of multiple MVP awards, a WNBA championship, and two Olympic gold medals — all by the age of 34 — Candace is considered by many to be one of the greatest female basketball players of all time.
But what many fans don’t know is that Candace did all of this while being a single mom to her 12-year-old daughter, Lailaa Nicole Williams. So, who is Candace Parker’s daughter? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about this adorable and inspiring mother-daughter duo.
Who is Candace Parker’s daughter?
When she graduated in 2008 from the University of Tennessee, Candace Parker was named the University and College Divisions' Academic All-American of the Year in women's basketball, and was quickly scooped up by the Los Angeles Sparks, the team she played with for 13 seasons.
As her storied career was just taking off, Candace also met and married fellow basketball player Shelden Williams. The couple welcomed their only daughter, Lailaa Nicole Williams, to the world on May 13, 2009, and appeared to be the picture-perfect basketball family living in LA.
However, Candace and Shelden divorced after eight years of marriage in November 2016. Fortunately, they were able to come to an amicable arrangement when it came to Lailaa. The couple agreed on joint legal and physical custody, with both parents equally funding her education and care.
Candace has often spoken about the example she tries to set for her daughter and the legacy she will leave behind for Lailaa. Last year, when the entire WNBA league had their players quarantined in Bradenton, Fla., the two-time MVP arrived at the IMG Academy with her daughter in tow.
“It’s really fun to share your passion with your kids,” Candace said, and Lailaa has also learned to appreciate the sport her mother dominates in. Candace explained that they used to be lucky if Lailaa sat through just two-quarters of a match, but now, the 12-year-old loves the game.
But while Lailaa might be cognizant of the fact that her mom is a WNBA champion, she still makes sure to keep Candace’s ego in check. Candace recently shared in a tweet that while she and Lailaa were watching the 2021 WNBA draft, Lailaa asked, “Hey mom, what round were you drafted in?”
If anyone can get away with a comment like that, it’s Lailaa. In fact, the two-time MVP laughed it off, saying, “Kids man … They humble the mess out of you.”
Candace and Lailaa are part owners of Los Angeles soccer team, Angel City FC.
In October 2020, Candace announced that she and her daughter Lailaa had joined the ownership group of Los Angeles’s newest National Women’s Soccer League team, Angel City FC. What's more, Candace and Lailaa are joined in the investment group by tennis GOAT Serena Williams and her daughter Alexis Ohanian, making Angel FC a doubly stunning mother-daughter business endeavor.