The weight of the world wasn't too heavy for Candace Parker to carry.
High school phenom? Check. One of the most decorated collegiate careers ever? Check. WNBA champion, MVP and All-Star? Check.
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WATCH HEREParker has done it all, starting at an early age.
"I remember being in high school and we went and played our rival high school, Naperville North, and the gym was overflowing with people," Parker said on NBC's latest episode of "My New Favorite Baller." "And after the game, like everybody waited for me to sign autographs coming out. And it was like at that moment where it was really cool.
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SIGN UP "I remember seeing a little girl with like a makeshift, Candace Parker jersey, Naperville Central jersey ... I saw like how she had her headband and the way she was wearing it, I was like, 'OK, this is far more than just basketball.' So I think at that moment, I realized like how cool of a position, how much responsibility you have in that, but also like how amazing it is to be able to be a part of that.
Since realizing the impact that she could have in the world, Parker has taken her platform and ran with it.
On the court, she won two state titles in Illinois and became the first female to dunk in a game. At Tennessee playing for legendary coach Pat Summit, she led the Volunteers to two NCAA Tournament championships. When Parker arrived in the WNBA as the No. 1 pick, she won two MVPs and three titles with three different teams (Los Angeles Sparks in 2016, Chicago Sky in 2021 and Las Vegas Aces in 2023).
Off the court, Parker is using her voice to lift others -- something that her parents always pushed her to do.
"My family always told me that I could do anything I wanted to and I truly believed it," Parker said. "When I got out into the world, I realized that so many other people didn't grow up in that environment.
"It was an emphasis to be what you want to see. That's what you should aspire to do. So, I think from a very young age I learned that it sometimes isn't about inspiring the masses, you can have a tremendous impact on inspiring a few and really having a lasting impact."
Since officially retiring from basketball in 2024, the challenge for Parker has been writing -- a skill she's been honing for years. Parker's first book, "The Can-Do Mindset," officially released on June 3.
"What's crazy is as a kid, I loved to write," Parker said. "I used to write like short stories. I used to write stuff for me and my best friend to act out and try to film, on the huge video camera. I used to write poems all the time. And so I always envisioned and dreamed of being an author, and so it really is surreal. I have to pinch myself."
"Can-Do," which was one of Parker's nicknames, is full of personal stories detailing her rise both as an athlete and a public figure. It gives motivation and advice on how to be resilient, follow your heart and flame your passions.
Everyone can see themselves in her journey, in one way or another. While few can relate to being a WNBA superstar, everyone deals with similar issues in life. For Parker, it was divorced parents, a divorce of her own, becoming a parent, co-parenting with others, having a second marriage with children, coming out to her family and much more.
"My daughter has been everything to me, my kids have been everything," Parker explained. "And I looked at this as like, this is something I'm leaving on Earth. Like their kids are gonna be able to read this about their grandmother. And I don't know, I just think everything I do -- motherhood is at the forefront in how I go out into the world, how I choose to tackle challenges, how I choose to get up and try to be a good role model for my kids. And so, I don't think that there is a part of my life that isn't led by motherhood and my intention in that area."
Ultimately, Parker has a clear vision of the legacy she wants to leave.
"How I want to be remembered is pushing women's sports forward, pushing women in business forward and, of course, my family being at the forefront of that."
