By Mark La Monica
For all those who once wondered when women's sports would reach the same level as men's sport, it just happened.
For all those who once wondered if women's sports would reach the same level as men's sport, it just happened.
Candace Parker announced on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008, that she is foregoing her final year of eligibility and turning pro for this April's WNBA draft.
The Tennessee Lady Vol, the woman who elevated above the rim like none before her in women's hoops, is a redshirt junior who will graduate this year. But she's skipping her final year of eligibility to be the No. 1 pick this year. (If the L.A. Sparks don't pick her, Congress better step in with some hearings!)
A woman ready for the pro game jumps early? Substitute "man" for "woman" and that sentence generates zero blips on the sports radar. It might make the crawl on ESPN at night. But when a woman turns pro early, it's news. And it's good news.
Parker is no doubt ready to make the jump, but the significance here is huge for women's sports. She's blazing a trail, from winning the McDonald's All-American slam dunk contest in high school, to dunking twice in a game and in the NCAA tournament, to being one of if not the first woman to forego her final year of eligibility for the pros.
Of course, the rules of eligibility for women are still different than that of the men, so don't expect much preventive legislation attempts like we saw in the NBA recently. Not everyone has Parker's skills. But those who come close can seriously consider foregoing a final year of college eligibility, and that is just about as equal as we can get in sports (aside from money).
So give props to Parker for making the decision to leave college early and go pro.