Feature images of Candace Parker and Ana Petrakova-Parker announcing their pregnancy and second child, via Candace Parker on Instagram.

Candace Parker is making something of a habit out of celebrating her engagement with her wife, Ana Petrakova-Parker, in a big splash. As you might remember, Parker first announced her marriage to Petrakova-Parker on their two year wedding anniversary in 2021 by sharing a pregnancy announcement for their first son, Airr Larry Parker. It broke the gay internet (or at least the gay internet of my household!! Around here we respect gay growth!)

Now it’s their fourth wedding anniversary, and Candace Parker and Ana Petrakova-Parker here to announce that another baby is on the way!

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A post shared by Candace Parker (@candaceparker)

First things first, that caption? What a way for Candace Parker to announce a new baby. Legendary. A work art. This is the ESPN Emmy Award-winning six-part, 12-hour Michael Jordan: The Last Dance documentary of captions.

Layering onto the obvious connections between Parker’s own storied basketball career (the future Hall of Famer and college basketball great is the only WNBA player in history to win three different WNBA Championships for three different teams and its nearly impossible to look up a top ten stat in the history books without finding her name) is the fact that Parker and Ana actually both met while also playing basketball. The two were teammates for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Petrakova’s home country Russia. Parker also recently spoke warmly and lovingly in her ESPN documentary, Unapologetic, that growing up playing basketball with her father and two brothers at their local court were some of her fondest childhood memories. Her eldest daughter, Lailaa, comes from Parker’s previous relationship with former NBA player and Duke star Sheldon Williams. That’s just a whole lotta basketball going on!! Tying all those threads together into a carousel of images announcing their newest baby is a chef’s kiss. But of course, I’d expect nothing less from one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Being able to watch Candace Parker grow into herself, and invite us in on that journey, has been… there are no words for that kind of joy. I am so happy to see the GOAT living her truth out loud. I am so happy for her family.

A whole entire starting five coming from your within own fam?? That’s something to be proud of.

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