Candace Parker, Lisa Leslie start new Sparks era today
WNBA
The Sparks duo is among the WNBA's most anticipated, bringing together the 2008 No. 1 overall draft pick and the league's three-time most valuable player for the season opener at Phoenix.
Somewhere between the mashed carrots and mixed vegetables, Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker began to sense it.
Leslie, the Sparks' three-time league most valuable player, and Parker, the team's highly acclaimed rookie, were in a South Bay grocery store shopping for Mother's Day cards and baby food. And then it happened.
Next thing they knew, they were holding an impromptu autograph session in Aisle 2.
"A lot of the people were, like, 'We're really excited about this season, we're going to be at your home opener,' and things like that," Parker said. "We had fun with it.' "
It was the first time Leslie and Parker ventured into the public eye together on their own. They'll make a different kind of debut this afternoon when the Sparks open the regular season in Phoenix against the defending WNBA champion Mercury.
Many predict the Sparks -- who have won the league title twice in 11 seasons, both times under Coach Michael Cooper -- are the team to beat this year.
"They're a strong team," agreed Ann Meyers Drysdale, general manager of the Mercury. "They've got a good mixture of veterans and young players."
Indeed. It could be argued that Leslie and Parker are be the most anticipated court duo in league history.
While Leslie is the force of the Sparks, Cooper acknowledged he has been impressed with Parker.
"It kind of blows you away, that someone that young can come in with so much experience, not just skill-wise but knowledge-wise," he said. "It usually takes a rookie a year or two or three to really grasp what this league is about, but she has already gotten it and it's a joy to watch."
Leslie, a 6-foot-5 center who sat out last season after giving birth to her first child, has been a star in this city since scoring 101 points before halftime in a game when she was a senior at Inglewood's Morningside High. She starred at USC, won a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games and still holds the WNBA career scoring record.
Parker, a 6-foot-4 forward, may be new but is already a star after playing for the Tennessee program, leading the Lady Vols to back-to-back NCAA championships.
The thought of Parker and Leslie playing together began in earnest when the Sparks, coming off a 10-24 season, won the No. 1 pick in the lottery.
Two days after being drafted, Parker was formally introduced to Leslie.
