Former Chicago Sky and legendary WNBA forward Candace Parker is one of many star investors in an ownership group that submitted a bid for a Nashville-based WNBA franchise, according to a Thursday article from the Associated Press.
The "Tennessee Summitt," named in honor of the late Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, would start play at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena in 2028 should its bid be successful, the AP wrote. Its All-Star ownership group features former Tennessee Governor and Mayor of Knoxville Bill Haslam, former Tennessee and Pro Football Hall-of-Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and country music stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. Haslam, a partial owner of the now-Knoxville Smokies Double-A baseball team, announced he would become a majority owner of the Nashville Predators this year in 2022, according to the Nashville Tennessean.
Parker, a 2-time WNBA MVP and 3-time champion with three different teams, was coached by Summitt during her three seasons with the Tennessee Volunteers. The Naperville Central product would win two NCAA championships alongside Summitt, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000. The decades-long head coach cemented herself as one of the greatest coaches of all time with just under 1,100 wins and five Naismith Coach of the Year selections to her name.
The Summitt could be the WNBA's 16th franchise after Portland, Toronto and San Francisco won bids of their own over the last few years. The Golden State Valkyries, who first won a bid in 2023, will tip off their inaugural season against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 16. The Toronto Tempo, which unveiled its name in December, named Monica Wright Rogers as its first general manager on Wednesday. Cleveland, the former home of one of the WNBA's founding teams in the Rockers, submitted a bid to become the league's 16th franchise in November.
Parker is taking center stage as an analyst in TNT's studio coverage of Unrivaled, the newly-launched 3-on-3 league featuring stars from across the WNBA. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, along with a variety of former Chicago players, are suiting up in five of the league's six squads. Guard Courtney Vandersloot, who is expected to sign with the Sky after spending two seasons in New York, has played in four games for the Mist Basketball Club. Parker played with Vandersloot for two seasons in Chicago, where the pair helped guide the Sky to its 1st-ever WNBA championship with a 4-game win over the Phoenix Mercury in 2021.