Candace Parker makes her first of many indelible impressions to come on the world's premier women's sports league.
Not since the WNBA's opening day of June 21, 1997 have records been set the way they were on this third Saturday of May, 2008. One correlation - the Los Angeles Sparks played on both dates.
L.A.'s jack-of-all-trades (and drafts), Candace Parker drilled 34 points, 12 rebounds, and came away with 8 assists in her debut WNBA game as the Sparks outlasted the Phoenix Mercury 99-94 at U.S. Airways Center. Parker shatters the WNBA record for debut game point total by a rookie, dethroning Houston Comet legend Cynthia Cooper, who scored 25 on that early summer evening 11 years ago.
"Obviously, it was better than I expected," says Parker, who played forward in her first pro-level game. "Coming out, I just wanted to play hard, and I was a little nervous. I think my teammates did a good job of just keeping me in it mentally and not allowing me to get frustrated."
Parker had little time to contemplate her thoughts and experiences. She played 38:30 of the 40-minute contest. It allowed her however to go 12-for-19 in field goals, hitting a pair of threes. She only capitalized on half her free throws (8 of 16), but made up for it grabbing 10 of her rebounds defensively.
"My teammates did a great job of getting the ball to me and moving it afterwards," Parker explains. "It's crunch time and we needed the win and I think all of us buckled down to win the game."
Likewise, her mentor and new friend Lisa Leslie enjoyed a prolific return after missing the 2007 season due to pregnancy. She recorded another of the many double-doubles that illuminate her starry career, sinking 17 points and grabbing 12 boards in just over 28 minutes on the court.
"It's going to be great; I'm catching up," says the 6'5" center, whose daughter Lauren turns one year old on June 15th. "My wheels are spinning and I'm going to get better and better. The sky's the limit for us."
Keeping the same thinking, the defending WNBA champions weren't about to let their first game of the 2008 season slip away easily. Phoenix led by as many as 8 points, and kept the game close, almost tying it in the final 12 seconds. However, guard Cappie Pondexter was unable to make a clutch 3-point shot, which was rebounded by L.A. The Mercury fouled, and Pondexter even incurred a technical.
"I was grabbed twice when I was trying to take the shot," claims Cappie. "I apologize to the team for getting a technical foul. It was a critical moment and we still had a chance to win the game."
Pondexter, last year's Finals MVP was Phoenix's hero again on this opening day, in which the Mercury were presented with their championship rings via a special pre-game ceremony. She scored 32, and earned 7 assists.
"I feel extremely positive," adds Pondexter. We only have five players from last year's championship team and everyone else is new, so we're still trying to get a feel for each other."
For the Mercury, forward Diana Taurasi and center Tangela Smith were also in double point figures, scoring 24 and 12 respectively.
For L.A., another early season road swing starts off on a positive note. They get eight days off before traveling to Atlanta, yet will play five road games before heading to L.A. to face Phoenix in their home opener.
"If we can come back .500 or better on these first 5, 6 games, that'll set the pace for us," says a pleased Spark head coach Michael Cooper. "Championships are won on the road, and Phoenix proved that last year."
The two teams meet a second time in L.A. on Friday, June 6th.
