Who is Candace Parker? Meet the honorary GM of the Rising Stars champion team

The 2025 NBA All-Star Game is one for the history books, with a new format comprised of four teams competing in a mini-tournament for bragging rights. Three games, the first to 40 points wins.

It promises to bring great drama to a spectacle that had drifted in recent years. Another exciting introduction is the role of general manager for each team, with well-known basketball personalities taking charge of each roster.

There’s Charles Barkley (Chuck’s Global Stars), Shaquille O’Neal (Shaq’s OGs), Kenny Smith (Kenny’s Young Stars) and Candace Parker (Rising Stars). Parker’s Rising Stars will be the winning team from the Castrol Rising Stars mini-tournament, Team C. The competition featured the best NBA rookies, sophomores and G League talent.

Who is Candace Parker?

All-Star Weekend is usually dominated by the biggest stars but this year, thanks to the format changes, there is also the chance for young players to show their talents. That is the stated aim of the Rising Stars, the team led by WNBA icon Candace Parker.

Nicknamed ‘Ace’ during her playing career, Parker was the No. 1 pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft and she went on to become one of the most celebrated WNBA players of all time. She spent most of her career with the Los Angeles Sparks but also spent time with the Chicago Sky and the Las Vegas Aces, along with a number of stints overseas.

She is a three-time WNBA champion, seven-time All-Star and two-time WNBA MVP. Parker will be well-known to many as an analyst and commentator for the TNT Sports and was named president of Adidas women’s basketball following her retirement in 2024.

She is no stranger to the NBA Al-Star Game. In 2023 she became the first woman to call the NBA All-Star Game, saying that she had loved the annual showpiece game since childhood.

“I’m a fan first and foremost of the NBA and especially the All-Star Game,” Parker said. “And so I think the fan of the game, and the childhood Candace is... I have to pinch myself to believe that I’m doing it, and that I’m able to have a courtside seat to see the best players in the world.”

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