LOS ANGELES — It keeps on getting better for Tennessee All-American Candace Parker.
Parker, who led the Lady Vols to their second-straight national championship on Tuesday, won John R. Wooden Award as college basketball’s top player for the second straight year.
North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough won the men’s award.
Parker’s coach Pat Summit, whose title on Tuesday was her eighth, won the Legends of Coaching Award.
More than 1,000 national media and college basketball experts cast votes based on players’ regular and postseason performances, character and academic performance. Unlike most player of the year awards, votes could be cast as late as the NCAA tournament’s regional round.
Parker’s win capped off a huge week for the 6-foot-4 junior.
She was already in Los Angeles where she was introduced Friday by the L.A. Sparks, who made her the No. 1 pick in Wednesday’s WNBA draft.
The awards are named for the former UCLA coach who guided the Bruins to 10 NCAA championships in a 12-year span before retiring in 1975.
For the third time since the inception of the award, Wooden didn’t attend the ceremony. The Wooden family announced in August 2005 that he would no longer participate because of a trademark dispute concerning the use of his name.
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Comments » 17
orangeinga writes:
Way to Go Miss Parket. Great Player, Great Person
You will be missed at UT
hcjournals#206623 writes:
Dear Candace:
You may be the best ambassador we'll ever have ever in the future. Ok, you and Peyton. I was so proud to watch you duriing the tournament. Stay grounded. The money is coming. Don't get politcal in any way. Stay neutral. You are in the perfect market to give the WNBA a chance. Who says women's basketball can't have little style.....Maybe even a little sex appeal........not the worst thing in the world. You've already proven your athleticism.......
Good luck!
98reax writes:
Gosh! This is the best of the best.
This is the fairy tale ending for LV fans too.
I don't mind positively thinking this is just the beginning of another run of excellent Lady Vol seasons. The remnants of '07 & '08 classes have so much to motivate them toward carrying on the winning feeling at Tennessee. I cannot imagine the excitement the recruits are coming in with after witnessing this grande finale of Big Orange Basketball. "We'll be fine in '09."
LadyVolFanForever writes:
WOW, WOW ! So greatly deserved, congrats Candace ! What a week for this young woman !
Thank you !
Not only are you bringing womens basketball to a new level, you are bringing women to a new level. You make all of us proud, keep it up.
I will be wearing orange and yelling for you in Atlanta on May 25th. Way to go girl !
OrangePride writes:
Candace,
This award is deserved on so many fronts. And everyone would agree that you are the most fantastic ambassador for both UT and women's basketball. Congratulations. And I agree with HC above, do your best to stay above the mudhole called politics.....just continue to do what you have always done......model and preach great character, ethics, and values. You are the kind of person that makes us all proud to be Volunteers! Best of luck in your future.
Capt_Caveman writes:
I been a VOLS fan for a long time. I think Pat Summitt is the greatest basketball coach to ever play the game. Men or women. They have had many great players over the years and will continue to have more. Candace was and is a very special player, she will be greatly missed. Congrats to her and her family. VOLS fans be proud, another great represenative of the awesome VOLS Nation.
Need_2_Know writes:
This reminds me of how another great Vol ended his career a while back. John Ward announced he was retiring as "Voice of the Vols", and the football Vols responded with an undefeated, National Championship performance. Talk about fairy tale endings!
Candace, you have likewise been blessed to go out on top at Rocky Top. Always remember the teamates, coaches and staff, students, fans, and others who helped you succeed. Good luck in the future, come visit K-ville whenever you can. I'm quite certain you'll be welcomed ! !
knoxtenor writes:
Candace's skills on the court are always in the forefront of the news; what many forget about is her prowess in the classroom. Even though she's only been here three years, even though she's been playing basketball almost constantly eight months out of those years, she has completed her degree. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe she's graduating with honors, too. She's never been arrested, she's never been stopped for playing her music too loud in a neighborhood, most certainly she's never taken recruits to a local drug dealer. Candace is one of those sports stars whom any parent would be proud to have his/her daughter aspire to and emulate.
Perhaps the greatest thing about all this is that Candace is NOT an exception to Pat Summit's other girls. Summit continues to pump out one of the highest graduation rates and GPAs in the country. I was struck by her interview (during the game?) where she said that she enjoys being a TEACHER the most.
Go, Candace! Keep wearing the orange, girl! Show those WNBAers what a superstar REALLY is!
MillisaAnn writes:
Congratulations Candace!!! I wish you all the best in the WNBA, The Olympics and beyond.
May God bless you always!!! :) :) :)
LdyVolFaninKS writes:
What I want to know is, what took them so long to give the Wooden to Pat? Great players are only as good as their great coaches. Congrats to both!
bmaples writes:
Congratulation to both Candace and Pat. I think they are both, simply, the best.
Here's a story line for you -- Pat coaches ten more years, passes Wooden for national championships, then retires and turns the coaching reins over to -- Candace, recently retired from the WNBA.
Ah, me, getting ahead of myself. Candace, you have been a true student-athlete and a great role model, as well as a great player. All of the seniors, in my opinion, could have shared this award -- this is the greatest class ever. Congrats to all!!
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
Marry me Candace! You won't have to change your name, and I won't have to work.... be kind of interesting to kiis someone taller than me, but, hey, I can get used to it :)
I hope all goe well for her. She really should be a great spokeswoman for the WNBA. I don't think any of us want to see the women's game turn into the men's game. Most of us like the women's game because of the class of the players and the better fundamentals. Candace is pretty much at the top of the women's play, I think.
tenn32rebel writes:
To Candace and Pat - ya'll are so deserving of the Wooden Award. Candace was truly the POY and Pat is DEFINITELY a Coaching Legend!!!
Candace, thanks for always being that bright ray of sunshine on Rocky Top. It was a super great ride for three years. Now, you're ready to take another road in Life's journey. Play with your usual grace and skill, always showing your class and style.
bmaples: I really doubt if Candace has her eyes on Pat's job. When Pat retires, many former Lady Vols will be ready and able to carry on their mentor's torch and passion for women's basketball. Here are just a few names that we could speculate about: Kellie Jolly Harper, Nikki Caldwell, Niya Butts. Holly will retire with Pat.
Anybody have some other coaching prospects??
Before we retire Pat (chuckle, chuckle!), let's enjoy these future Lady Vols. Maybe one of them will be good enough to be mentioned in the same breath as CP3!!!
Go Lady Vols! Go Candace! Go Pat!!!
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
tenn32:
Two come to mind:
Tyler Summitt (will be Pat's dream, I think), and Alexis Hornbuckle, should she choose to coach.
CP3 most likely won't make a good coach, as great players rarely make great coaches. Alexis, on the ohter hand, comes across with some VERY good qualities of inensity, hard work, and intelligence AND the knowledge of doing things as part of the support. No knock on CP3, but she has ALWAYS been the key player.
I really do hope Lex goes into coaching, I think she'd be great.
LadyVolFanForever writes:
mparker, I agree. I told someone this morning I thought Lex would make a great coach in a few years.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I love many things about Lex, but somehow I don't think she would make a great coach. For one thing, she wouldn't have much credibility trying to get her players to play smart, solid, fundamentally-sound ball(;-P)! Lex: "Sally, you've got to understand the time and score, and not try plays like that!" Sally: "Uh, Coach, I was watching your game against XYZ on tape, and in the same situation you tried...." Lex: "Don't do as I did, do what I say!" On the other hand, her teams might be a lot of fun to watch, and she surely could teach almost anyone about hard, aggressive defense!
LdyVolFaninKS writes:
Speaking of Pat's former players as coaches...we just got Jody Adams at Wichita State University. She did very well in her last coaching position (can't remember the name of the school, but they made it to the dance). She has already scared off one scholarship player with her intense 6:00am work outs. Do any of you know anything about her? She comes off well in her interviews here. WSU needs someone to come in and kick some butts and take some names!
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