Candace Parker will not play in Sky home opener

Sky coach and general manager announced an hour before tipoff against the New York Liberty on Sunday that Candace Parker would not play due to an ankle sprain.

The team said Parker came down awkwardly on her ankle in a shootaround ahead of the Sky’s road game against the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday. Since then, she has been resting it and working with trainers on mobility while taking things light in practice.

At the team’s video shoot on Friday evening, Parker had been hopeful of making her home debut. Ultimately, Wade said she would keep working on it before Sunday but he didn’t think it was a good idea for her to play.

He also doesn’t know when she will play next.

“We have a full season ahead of us,” Wade said during media availability Friday. “This is game three of the season. This is the home opener, but she’s here. She’s going to appear in many home games.”

Parker posted to her social media feeds that she’s been counting down the seconds until she could take the court in front of family and friends in “the city that raised her.” She said if there were even a remote chance of playing, she would.

Starting in her place will be Ruthy Hebard who had a double-double against the Dream, with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Azurá Stevens, who has been out the first two games of the season is expected to get her first minutes of the season against the Liberty. Allie Quigley is out with a hamstring injury.