In a landmark moment for women’s sports, ESPN has officially named Candace Parker as the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) in college women’s basketball. The announcement follows an exhaustive, months-long evaluation by a panel of experts, former players, coaches, and analysts as part of ESPN’s 50th Anniversary tribute to the women’s college game. Parker triumphed over an elite field that included Diana Taurasi (UConn), Cheryl Miller (USC), and Lynette Woodard (Kansas).
Parker’s crowning is more than a personal accolade—it’s a celebration of a transformational figure whose impact on the game transcended statistics and trophies.
“Candace Parker didn’t just dominate. She redefined what was possible in the college game,” said ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo. “She was ahead of her time—athletically, intellectually, emotionally. She led, she elevated, and she won.”
Parker starred at the University of Tennessee from 2005 to 2008, under the legendary Pat Summitt. Her legacy includes back-to-back national championships (2007, 2008), and a career defined by clutch performances, unmatched versatility, and a rare blend of power and grace. At 6-foot-4, Parker played all five positions, defended every spot on the floor, and could change the course of a game on either end.
She made history in 2006 by becoming the first woman to dunk in an NCAA Tournament game, putting her on a national stage as not just a star, but a symbol of evolution in women’s basketball. By the time she left Knoxville, Parker had earned two Wooden Awards, two Naismith Player of the Year honors, and was a two-time Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
Against the backdrop of legends like Taurasi, Miller, and Woodard—each with their own dominant legacies—Parker’s rise to the top is a testament to the totality of her impact. While Taurasi was the ultimate clutch scorer and winner at UConn, Miller was a statistical juggernaut in the 1980s, and Woodard a pioneer during an era of limited exposure—Parker combined all of those elements with generational versatility and media magnetism.
“She brought a swagger and a fluidity that was previously unseen in the women’s game,” said ESPN’s Andraya Carter, herself a former Lady Vol. “And she did it all with the pressure of being the face of the sport—and she never flinched.”
Parker’s GOAT status is also a tribute to her role in continuing the legacy of Pat Summitt. Together, the player-coach duo lifted Tennessee back to the top of the women’s basketball world and inspired a new generation of girls to dream bigger.
Now, as a two-time NCAA champion, WNBA MVP, Olympic gold medalist, and media trailblazer, Parker’s legend is secured across every level of the sport. But it was at Tennessee where it all began—where she not only played the game, but changed it.
Candace Parker is not just the GOAT of college women’s basketball. She is the blueprint.