LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Aces announced the signing of Candace Parker — their plum offseason acquisition — on Wednesday in a news release and also announced another free-agent pickup in Alysha Clark.
“We are thrilled to have Candace Parker join the Aces family,” general manager Natalie Williams. said in the release “Candace is a future Hall of Famer, a proven champion, and most importantly, an incredible woman. She is a talented playmaker, an exceptional leader and an invaluable piece toward our quest for another championship title.”
Parker, 36, a 6-foot, 4-inch inside force, won WNBA titles in 2016 with Los Angeles and in 2021 with Chicago. Her MVP awards came in 2008 and 2013. She announced her signing over the weekend, but by league rules, the Aces were prohibited from commenting until Wednesday, the opening of the league’s free-agent signing period.
Parker, who is from the Chicago area, thanked fans in her weekend announcement on Instagram but also posted that her family situation means ties to the West Coast, specifically Los Angeles.
“After evaluating the landscape together with my family, we’ve decided the Las Vegas Aces are the right organization for us at this point in our lives,” she said in her post. “To play for a championship close to home is the perfect situation for us. I’m looking forward to continuing the journey this summer in Las Vegas.”
Parker also was the league’s rookie of the year in 2008 and was the first WNBA player to be selected top rookie and MVP in the same season. She twice won Olympic gold for the USA women’s basketball team and twice won the NCAA title when she played at Tennessee.
In 392 career games, Parker has averaged 16.4 points and 8.6 rebounds.
In adding Clark, the Aces fill a void created with the trade of Dearica Hamby, a fierce defender and top player off the bench. Clark, 35, has twice been picked to the league’s all-defensive team and is a solid shooter from 3-point range.
She also has twice won WNBA championship, in 2018 and 2020 with Seattle. Clark also was a teammate of Aces coach Becky Hammon in San Antonio
“I’m so excited to be joining the Aces organization and contributing to the championship culture here” Clark said. “I don’t take for granted the ability to have longevity in this league, and to have the opportunity to play alongside the caliber of players on this team with such an amazing coach in Becky just feels really special. “
Clark, 5-11, has played 302 career games, averaging 7.0 points. 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists.
Also on Wednesday, the Aces said they signed Courtney Range, 27, a forward-center, and guard Alexis Peterson, 27, to training camp contracts.
Range averages 16.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists for Fribourg in Switzerland. She’s played overseas in Germany, Belgium and Spain since graduating from Cal in 2017.
Peterson played at Syracuse and was a second-round pick of Seattle in the 2017 draft. She’s played in Israel and Poland and also internationally in 3-on-3 for USA Basketball.