Candace Parker’s connection with Anna Petrakova, a successful Russian Olympic basketball star, is explored
One of the finest women’s basketball players of all time, Candace Parker is a WNBA legend who overcame pregnancy, divorce, single parenthood, and same-sex marriage.
Additionally, Parker has had the support of her partner, Anna Petrakova, throughout her Hall of Fame career. Parker made her retirement announcement in an emotional message on Sunday night.
Parker was crowned league MVP and Rookie of the Year while playing for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008, her first year as a professional. She also won a gold medal at the Olympics in Beijing.
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She miraculously gave birth to her daughter Lailaa in early 2009 while she was still in the early stages of her pregnancy.
“My daughter was along for the journey,” Parker said to Time.
Lailaa was raised by Parker, who was married to NBA player Shelden Williams and played in Turkey, China, Russia, and the US.
“Her crawling at an away game in EuroLeague. Her trying potatoes for the first time in Spain,” Parker recalls.
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“Her playground was literally the world.”
Parker first connected with basketball player Anna Petrakova in Russia in 2012 while they were both colleagues at UMMC Ekaterinburg.
Though none of them anticipated becoming in a same-sex relationship, the two quickly became quite close.
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Following her standout season at the University of Louisiana, Petrakova went on to play professionally for a number of teams, including Spartak, UMMC Ekaterinburg, CSKA Moscow, Chevakata Vologda, and Dynamo Kursk.
Petrakova competed for Russia in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where they finished in fourth place.
Recalling their initial kiss, Petrakova said: “We’re scared, and we’re like, ‘What the hell was that?’
“You are kind of scared to look each other in the eye and then you’re like, ‘OK, well, what are we? We’re lying to ourselves here’.”
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They made the decision to formalize their relationship and get married discreetly in 2019 after Parker and Williams split in 2016.
Parker revealed that she and her spouse were expecting a child together in December 2021, marking their second year of marriage.
Airr Larry Petrakov Parker, Petrakova’s son, was born in February 2022.
“It’s been amazing to go through this again, and then obviously with my beautiful wife and my daughter [by my side],” Parker told People.
“Being able to see her as a sister, it’s been amazing.”
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The couple revealed they were expecting a second child in December.
“After four years in the game we are focused on building our roster. We know this rookie will add to our depth chart and contribute versatility to our team,” remarked in a social media post by the pair.
“The rookie will join our current roster consisting of a shooter, point forward, rebounder, and little Tikes rim attacker!
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“The team as a whole struggles with clock management and a little bit on the defensive end.
“We are hoping the young buck will play their role, bring iQ, hustle, length, athleticism and passion to this team.”
