Candace Parker won her second WNBA Most Valuable Player award in 2013.
Parker first won the award as a rookie in 2008 with the Los Angeles Sparks. Five years later, she captured the honor again after leading the Sparks through another outstanding regular season. Her combination of scoring, rebounding, playmaking, and defense made her one of the WNBA’s most complete stars.
The 2013 award came during a period in which Parker was also collecting major international and professional honors. She had already become a central figure for the United States national team and remained one of the WNBA’s most recognizable players.
Her 2008 and 2013 MVP awards are sometimes confused with her Rookie of the Year award, which she also won in 2008. The rookie honor and the MVP honor were separate awards, even though both came during her debut season in Los Angeles.