Candace Parker on Celtics Trading Marcus Smart, Maximizing Tatum-Brown Tandem, Pat Summitt, and the Sports Matter Initiative

Candace Parker shares her perspective on the Celtics shaking up their roster's core, lessons from Pat Summitt, teaming with Gatorade and DICK's Sporting Goods to promote youth equity in sports, and more.

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

To put it simply, Candace Parker is a winner. The former Gatorade Player of the Year led Naperville Central High School to two straight Class AA state titles. Then, she did the same for the Tennessee Volunteers women's basketball program, taking home the John R. Wooden Award and getting named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player in both instances.

Parker's also a EuroLeague champion, a two-time WNBA MVP, and a two-time WNBA title winner, leading the Los Angeles Sparks, then her hometown Chicago Sky to the WNBA's mountain top.

So, who better to get perspective from regarding what the Boston Celtics have to do to maximize the star tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to go from contenders to champions?

The seven-time All-WNBA First Team selection also discussed Boston's controversial decision to trade Marcus Smart and what Kristaps Porzingis brings to the table.

Parker also shared life lessons she learned from legendary coach Pat Summitt that helped shape her, why A'ja Wilson deserves to take home the WNBA MVP for the third time, the difference-maker in the Las Vegas Aces' pursuit of a second-straight WNBA title, and partnering with Gatorade and DICK's Sporting Goods to launch the Sports Matter Program to promote youth equity in sports.

Here's our discussion, edited for length, clarity, and grammar.

Bobby Krivitsky: What's your perspective on the Celtics shaking up the core of their roster, trading Marcus Smart, who was the heart and soul of the team, and bringing in Kristaps Porzingis in pursuit of a championship?

Candace Parker: Sometimes, in championship pursuit, there are some things that are unpopular decisions but much needed. I don't think you could have come back with the same core. You needed to keep Jaylen, (you) needed to keep Jayson, and I think the Celtics have struggled from that four or five position in the playoffs.

Anytime (that) you're able to have somebody like Kristaps, who is able to step out and knock down the three, I think it will give more space to an offense that already creates and makes you make choices. So, I personally like it on the offensive end. I think it's to be determined defensively because I think that's where they'll miss Marcus Smart the most.

But like I said, basketball isn't about pitching shutouts; it's about scoring buckets. So, I actually have Jayson Tatum as my MVP this year. I think he's gonna come in and make a splash in that way. It's about time.

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Bobby Krivitsky: And as well as the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown partnership is working individually and in terms of team success, even just focusing on them at the offensive end, it feels like there's another level they can reach. I'm curious if you agree with that, and if so, what do you think is the key to maximizing having the two of them on the floor together?

Candace Parker: I think the key is the others because the way I saw them grow up the previous year is (that) they were sharing the ball. I think the previous year was a lot of ISOs. And I think that got them in trouble a little bit. And I think this past year and (the) end of the previous season, they were sharing the ball a lot more, and then the ball would find them on the way back.

So, I look for that. But I also think, sometimes, it's the way that the ball falls. I get they didn't win game seven, but I don't think (that) everything is broken. I think they're going to continue to get better. It's finding spurts of when they play together versus when they both operate individually. And I think (that) Kristaps can provide that gap a little bit.

I mean, it took the Warriors a little bit of time to figure out their rotations as well, in terms of how much time to have (Stephen) Curry (and) Klay (Thompson) on the court. They added KD (Kevin Durant) to the mix, (and) Klay would go in at the beginning of the second quarter and kind of fill that gap. So, I think it's going to be interesting to see how that's managed.

Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Bobby Krivitsky: You played for one of the greatest coaches ever, Pat Summitt. What are some of the life lessons that you learned from her you still apply today?

Candace Parker: Everything. I think it's (that) nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care. And I think I'm a big relationship person. And I want to know people's kid's names. And I want to know what they do outside of, you know, what they do. I want to know the who. And so, I think I learned a lot of that from Coach Summit in the way that she cared and genuinely wanted what's best for the people as student-athletes and the people that she's impacting.

Bobby Krivitsky: That's really cool to hear. And on a much different note, the race for WNBA MVP is tightly contested; I'm not going to ask you who, I think we know that answer, but why does A'ja Wilson deserve to take home the hardware for the third time?

Candace Parker: Well, I think there's a huge debate, obviously, even within TNT of Chuck (Charles Barkley) and Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal) of whether the MVP is the best player, is it the best player on the best team? Is it whatever?

And my thing is, I think she's checked both boxes in terms of being on a team that has had a historic run in terms of wins this season and a lot of games in terms of point differential (where) she wasn't even in there in the third and fourth quarter. So, I think the load that she's carrying, and also, the entirety, she's the entire player in terms of defensively and offensively.

Bobby Krivitsky: And the Las Vegas Aces have the best record in the WNBA, but the New York Liberty also eclipsed 30 wins, and the Connecticut Sun are having a great season as well. What's going to make the difference in whether Las Vegas wins back-to-back championships?

Candace Parker: I think the playoffs are favorable from a rest standpoint, in terms of the days in between, as long as Vegas takes care of business in the first round, and they don't have to travel. But I also think in terms of defensively, just operating, the basket, it's bigger when you're able to attack it in transition and in secondary. I mean, it's too many moving parts, vs. when you're playing against a set defense all the time.

So, I think defensively, we're able to get stops and really make things tough on that end and rebound, then we're able to get out and run, and that's when the playmakers are at their best.

Bobby Krivitsky: Yeah, and we've seen (Aces head coach) Becky Hammon play around and have the team in zone to start games and do different things, so, certainly mixing it up, trying to be playoff ready at that end of the court because like you said, it makes life offensively so much easier.

And Candace, my last question to you is, you're partnering with Gatorade and Dick's Sporting Goods on the Sports Matter Program to promote youth equity in sports, which includes a $100,000 donation to the program from Gatorade, and sending one girl's high school basketball team to the WNBA Finals this year. What does that partnership mean to you? And what do you want people to know about the program?

Candace Parker: Well, first and foremost, I think sports has done so much for me individually. (And) not just for me from the standpoint of a career but in life and the lessons you learn from sports.

I'm actually fortunate enough to have the ability to watch my daughter and how sports are really changing her life. She's playing varsity volleyball right now. And the lessons she's learning, and the teammates and the relationships she's building, and things like that.

And so, I think it's about leveling the playing field and making sure that as many kids and as many youth athletes as possible are able to have that opportunity. And so being able to be a part of something like this to inspire the next generation, those girls that will be able to attend the finals game, they'll remember that forever. And that's going to be a pivotal moment for them because up close, they're going to be able to see the best of the best, and there's nothing like that. So, I think it's about providing as many opportunities as we can to get the life skills that sports provide.

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