\n<\/p>\n
In <\/em>Chill Chat<\/em><\/a>, Bustle sits down with celebrities and influencers to talk about all things wellness, from daily routines to <\/em>hacks for getting a good night\u2019s sleep<\/em><\/a>. Here, Candace Parker, one of the best WNBA players of all time, shares her morning routine and go-to workouts.<\/em><\/p>\n Candace Parker is no stranger to success. The retired basketball star is the only player in WNBA history to win three championships<\/a> with three separate teams: the Los Angeles Sparks, Chicago Sky, and Las Vegas Aces. She\u2019s also the only WNBA player to earn Rookie of the Year and MVP<\/a> in the same season.<\/p>\n On March 31, it was announced that Parker will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame<\/a>, honoring her stellar 16-season career that spanned from 2008 to 2023. As a power forward, she was known for her versatility and high basketball IQ on the court, and now she\u2019s using those same skills to call games during March Madness<\/a> \u2014 the annual NCAA Division I women\u2019s and men\u2019s basketball tournaments held each spring.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope to bring the player’s perspective,\u201d she tells Bustle of her new role. \u201cI’ve played at the NCAA level. I’ve played in the pressure situations, and I understand that it’s not black and white. I want to share the gray area of what players are thinking, and I also try to bring the intangibles and paint the things that you may not necessarily see.\u201d <\/p>\n March Madness is a big deal for the whole Parker family. \u201cWe have a great friendly rivalry as my dad and my mom went to Iowa and my nephew goes to Florida right now, so the group chat has been jumping,\u201d the 39-year-old says. \u201cIt\u2019s always a fun time, but this year I have a different vantage point. I went from being in the studio the last six or seven years, to now being able to call the games and feel the energy of the arena.\u201d This spring, Parker became the first openly LGBTQ analyst to call a Men\u2019s March Madness<\/a> game.<\/p>\n Next, she\u2019s looking ahead to the 2026 WNBA season<\/a> \u2014\u00a0which could be a twisty one. Describing last year\u2019s season, she says, \u201cYou think you know who the top teams will be, but then the Valkyries come along<\/a> and end up shocking everybody.\u201d As a new expansion team, the Valkyries weren’t expected to make the playoffs, but they did.<\/p>\n The W has two more expansion teams starting this year: the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo<\/a>. \u201cWe’re in for a really exciting WNBA season,\u201d she says. Ahead of its start, she repped her alma mater team, the University of Tennessee, in a commercial with AT&T. \u201cIt was super special to make,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n