Candace Parker’s vintage playoff performances leading way for Sky

Candace Parker has a go-to response whenever questions about her health arise.

“I’m fine,” she says. “I’m just old.”

At 36, she isn’t old by a long shot, but considering the wear and tear she has endured over a 15-year professional career, it’s understandable she describes herself as such. As the years have progressed, so has her off-the-court routine. The 28.5 minutes she’s averaging in the postseason are only a fraction of what she spends on the game. Ice baths and team treatments are givens, but Parker also gets acupuncture and massages and works with personal trainers outside the Sky.

As a result, she’s playing some of the best basketball of her career, whether she wants to acknowledge it or not.

“I think younger CP was more dominant,” Parker said Wednesday after finishing with 22 points, four rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal in the Sky’s 85-77 win over the Sun in Game 2 of their semifinal series.

Through five postseason games, Parker is averaging 16.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.8 blocks and 1.2 steals in under 30 minutes. In her 13 WNBA postseasons, the only one when she averaged fewer minutes than this was in 2019. Her highest postseason scoring average was 28.8 points in 2012.

In postseasons when she plays five or more games, she has averaged more points just three times. This is her second-best postseason rebounding average, and she never has averaged more assists or blocks in the postseason. Her 11.2 plus/minus rating also is the highest of her playoff career.

“She wants to do everything in her power to get another championship,” Sky coach and general manager James Wade said.

While Parker was helping the Sky even the series Wednesday in Chicago, 40-year-old Serena Williams was in Queens, New York, eliminating No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit in the second round of the U.S. Open. Parker caught a glimpse of Williams’ match during halftime and drew inspiration from her performance — specifically her mental approach. During her postgame news conference, she joked that you can’t teach a dog new tricks, but said both she and Williams have mastered how to improve the tricks already in their arsenals late in their careers.

During the Sky’s first-round series against the Liberty, Parker fell into a three-point shooting slump, going 1-for-9. But her overall impact never faltered, and she averaged 14 points and 12 rebounds through the Sky’s first three postseason games.

Her trainer flew in from Los Angeles to spend last Friday night ahead of the semifinals working with her on her three-point shot. She went 6-for-13 from deep in the first two games against the Sun.

“Even if she’s having fewer stats, she’s doing so many great things on the court, like being a great leader,” teammate Emma Meesseman said. “I don’t think there are enough words [to describe her skill].”

As with Williams, retirement is a topic of conversation with Parker. She becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason. But unlike Williams, she has made no statement about her future plans. The most important thing is to be mobile for her kids as they grow up.

“I want to be able to beat my daughter and son [in basketball] to the point of destroying them,” she said.

Going out on top is another priority. The defending champion Sky are two wins from advancing to the WNBA Finals for the second straight year and the third time in team history. It would mark Parker’s fourth Finals.

Going out with back-to-back titles might be just the exit she’s playing for.

“It’s not fun when you’re not what you’re used to being,” Parker said. “I think you want to go out before that.”