Candace Parker made her Olympic basketball debut for the United States in 2008.
Parker joined the U.S. women’s national team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Americans won the gold medal, defeating Australia 92–65 in the championship game.
She entered the Olympics after an outstanding college career at Tennessee and a successful start to her WNBA career. Parker’s versatility allowed her to play both forward positions, while her rebounding and interior scoring strengthened the American frontcourt.
Parker also won Olympic gold in 2012 at London. She was not selected for the 2016 Rio team, but returned to the national program later and won another gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games, held in 2021.