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WNBA legend Candace Parker received a heartfelt message on her birthday from Kobe Bryant's wife and well-known philanthropist, Vanessa Bryant. On the occasion of Parker's 39th birthday, Bryant took to Instagram on Saturday to celebrate the special day.
She shared a photo of Parker and herself on her Instagram stories with her daughters Capri and Bianka Bryant. She then tagged the former basketball star in the upload with a caption that read:
"Happy birthday!"
Vanessa Bryant and Candace Parker have grown their friendship more in recent years, with the latter even coaching Bianka in basketball.
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Vanessa herself is a big fan of women's basketball and was seen at the 2024 Paris Olympics watching the USA women's team. She also took snaps with WNBA stars like Sabrina Ionescu and others during the tournament.
Candace Parker receives birthday wishes from the sporting world
Candace Parker also got a plethora of birthday messages from many notable names in the sporting world. Among those who sent her best wishes on April 19 were tennis legend Billie Jean King, WNBA stars Chelsea Gray and Aaliyah Edwards, and USC Trojans women's basketball executive Kelly Dormandy, among others.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest women's basketball players of all time, Parker retired from the game on April 2024 after playing 16 seasons in the league. Standing at 6-foot-4, she is a three-time WNBA champion and has won the league's Most Valuable Player award twice.
Her illustrious career includes achievements like being the first player to be named Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the same season. She was also the first player in league history to win a championship with three different teams while clinching two Olympic gold medals.
Following her retirement, Parker currently works as an executive at Adidas, the company she was once an ambassador during her playing days.
