Candace Parker is a straight shooter.

To keep borrowing basketball metaphors, she knows the score. Especially sitting in Wintrust Arena on Monday. If she didn’t keep her promise back in 2021, there wouldn’t be a reason to retire her jersey.

"I don't think I'm sitting here unless we have a banner," Parker said. "To be honest with you, I wouldn't want to be sitting here unless we had a banner in the rafters."

Fortunately for Parker, she’s one of the few. Few athletes like her grow into their roles as true and bright-burning stars. It’s something a sports franchise is never guaranteed to have, and it’s something Chicago sports has lacked since she left for Las Vegas in 2023 as the 2021 Chicago Sky remain the last professional sports championship for the city.

For most people, the only tru

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