Candace Parker

Sport: Basketball

Nation: United States of America

DOB: April 19, 1986

Hometown: Naperville, IL

Career Highlights: If fully healthy, Parker could play a key role in the U.S. defending its Olympic title. As a reserve at the Beijing Games, Parker averaged 9.4 points on 61.4 percent shooting and 4.5 rebounds as Team USA went unbeaten. However, injuries have plagued Parker the past two years, and her Los Angeles Sparks missed the playoffs both times after reaching the Western Conference finals in each of her first two WNBA seasons. She was limited to 17 games by a knee problem in 2011, missing the All-Star game after being voted to start. Parker played just 10 games in 2010 due to a shoulder injury which also kept her out of the world championships as the U.S. qualified for London. The former University of Tennessee standout was the only collegiate player on the U.S. worlds squad in 2006, averaging 12.3 points and shooting a team-best 58.3 percent. Parker led the Lady Vols to NCAA championships in 2007 and '08, earning consensus National Player of the Year honors in both seasons. Shortly after graduating from Tennessee in May 2008, Parker became the second woman ever to dunk in a WNBA game. She went on to become the first player to win league MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season. Her career averages of 17.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks all rank among the top eight in WNBA history. Both her brother, Anthony Parker, and her husband, Shelden Williams, currently play in the NBA. The birth of her first child caused her to miss the first month of the 2009 season.

Olympic History: 2008