CHICAGO — It’s basketball in Chicago the sports. It’s important. Identity is associated with it.
“As much of a baseball tradition (is) here, as much of a track tradition, as much of a football tradition here … basketball kind of cuts across all of those things,” said longtime Chicago sports broadcaster Laurence Holmes. “It’s local. It’s your block. It’s your side of town.”
We often hear about male hoopers from Chi, but women also have a strong legacy in the city. From prep to college to pro. Chicago’s love of hardwood standouts applies to everyone, homegrown or not.
This weekend, two women who stood out the most, Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne, will take their place among the sports greats when they are inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. In different ways, both have Chicago to thank for starting that journey.
After just two days at UConn with coaching legend Geno Auriemma’s program in 2008, Delle Donne made headlines when she decided to forgo her scholarship, return home and enroll at the University of Delaware. The decision to leave basketball didn’t last long – Delle Donne joined the Blue Hens in 2009.
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The Chicago Sky drafted Delle Donne with the second pick in the 2013 draft. Although she didn’t grow up in the area, and her game wasn’t forged in a Chicago park, Delle Donne immediately became part of the city’s professional basketball lore. She immediately embraced the culture of the city and was a fan of Michael Jordan, siding with the Bulls legend in the GOAT debate. Delle Donne began her career with Sky and made her mark during her short time with the team.
Before becoming the first WNBA player to shoot at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3 and 90 percent on free throws with the Washington Mystics, Delle Donne became the first (and only) player in Sky history to win league MVP honors. Despite last being in a Chicago uniform a decade ago, she remains the franchise’s all-time leader in scoring average (20.5), player efficiency rating (28.2), 20-point games, 30-point outings and the owner of only two Sky 40-point performances. She is also fourth in 3-point percentage (38.1), fifth in points and 10th in rebounds. Chicago posted the WNBA’s fourth-best record during Delle Donne’s four seasons, culminating in their first appearance in the 2014 WNBA Finals.
“I know it was the first time a lot of the girls knew there was a WNBA team in Chicago,” said Carly Bell, a reporter who previously covered Sky. “I was there for their inaugural season and went to a few games after that, but (Delle Donne’s) first season is when a lot of people found out the team was here.
“Unless you were in the basketball circle, no one knew who Sky was or what Sky was. I remember some people in high school being like ‘Yo, did you know we have a professional women’s team?’ And we in space knew, but the general sports population didn’t.”
Parker grew up in Naperville, Ill. — about 18 miles southwest of Chicago — and she always made it clear where she was from. But Chicago loves her as its own. She led Naperville Central to two state titles in 2003 and 2004 and was the first woman to win the McDonald’s All-American slam dunk contest. Parker was named the Prep Player of the Year twice by both Gatorade and USA Today. As a teenager, she attracted national attention and local admiration. Chicago area newspapers covered her games and accomplishments as they had hoops phenoms before her. Parker then joined legendary coach Pat Summitt at Tennessee.
“Candace was everything. She had all the tools. She was tall, she was strong, she could shoot, she could dribble,” Holmes said. “When we’d see her highlights in high school, it was like, man, there’s a young lady in Naperville who can play.”
In 2008, as the No. 1 draft pick by the Los Angeles Sparks, Parker became the only player in WNBA history to win the MVP and Rookie of the Year awards in the same year.
After a successful stint with the Los Angeles Sparks, she joined the Sky in free agency in 2021, helping them win their first title. In 2022, she recorded the second and third triple-doubles in Sky history en route to first-team All-WNBA honors at age 36, trailing only Cynthia Cooper (37 in 2000) as the league’s oldest honoree. Prior to 2022, no player in league history had recorded more triple-doubles in a season.
The survival of Chicago basketball gives Parker a level of respect and appreciation that made her sign with the Sky in 2021 something important for the area, even before there was a WNBA championship, the franchise’s only one, to celebrate.
Her presence in Chicago had an impact on the youth ball for women. There has been an increase in the number of camps and AAU teams in the city. Many local women attribute their love of hoops to Parker. Naperville held tournaments with her name on them and it was considered a privilege to receive an invitation.
Parker caught the attention of W national. Delle Donne provided Sky with local recognition.
Delle Donne epitomized the offense at forward, but he really played as a three with quick hands on defense. Parker could stop from anywhere and run over opponents on the inside. Her impact on the field was evident at every level.
But both brought tremendous value and versatility in different ways.
Both players independently showed the growth of the forward position and its distinct influence on the women’s game, which often relied on point guards and players. Both embodied the evolution of the forward position, playing anywhere on the floor. That existed in the men’s game thanks to players like Kevin Garnett, but that change was delayed in the women’s game because positions were traditionally based on size alone.
Before their careers, forwards were supposed to create space, set screens and maybe secure a few points off layups and free throws with the occasional jumper. But Parker and Delle Donne came in and showed they could do all those things, score from anywhere on the floor and shut down opponents driving the lane.
View the league now. Scoring will always be important, but some of the most memorable players in the game are forwards: A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Angel Reese, DeWanna Bonner, Napheesa Collier, Dearica Hamby, Nneka Ogwumike, Satou Sabally, Alyssa Thomas.
Due to the versatility shown by Parker and Delle Donne, the power forward position became more and more valuable as the game wore on. In the years since this weekend’s honorees left the game, players like Collier, Stewart and Thomas have drawn comparisons to the former stars. Both Parker and Delle Donne were ahead of their time, especially in the way they were trusted to start the offense.
In Chicago, there is a respect and appreciation for hoops that is embedded in the sports culture of the city. Although their stints with the Sky were brief, Delle Donne and Parker helped bring championship-caliber hoops back to the city and brought in new fans. As they join the greats, they will represent all the people and places they have touched, and Chicago is proud to be among them.
