'A pretty cool family member': Candace Parker witnesses Lady Vols win in 'Summitt Blue' jerseys

Lady Vols basketball couldn't have had a more fitting guest for the debut of the "Summitt Blue" jerseys on Sunday.

Two-time WNBA champion Candace Parker was in town all weekend, making appearances at former Vols basketball player Chris Lofton's jersey retirement Saturday and the Lady Vols' 68-55 win over Georgia on Sunday. Tennessee coach Kellie Harper said there were many photos taken with Parker in the locker room after the win.

Jordan Walker, who had eight assists Sunday, said visits from Parker and other former Lady Vols are a special part of being in the program.

"Just to make time to come back and talk to us, I think that's an amazing thing," Walker said. "I think it says a lot about the program and who we are as people."

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Parker played at Tennessee from 2004-08 and won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2007 and 2008. The 15-year WNBA veteran is currently a free agent after two seasons with her hometown Chicago Sky. From her WNBA career to being an NBA analyst, Parker is an incredibly busy person.

The time commitment to spend the whole weekend in Knoxville was not lost on Harper.

"First off, we love Candace and love that she continues to be a part of this program," Harper said. "What I'm always reminded of when she comes back is how much she loves this program. I knew she was really close to Pat ... I know they had a really special relationship. But she also has that relationship with the program. She loves the program, she loves the university."

The long-awaited "Summitt Blue" jerseys are in honor of the late Pat Summitt, and Parker had a courtside seat to see the Lady Vols win in the jerseys honoring her former coach.

Parker was in attendance with her wife, Anna, and her son, Airr, and sat with former Tennessee women's athletics communication director Debby Jennings. Parker was honored with several women, including Jennings and Tennessee women's athletic director emeritus Joan Cronan, as Title IX trailblazers at halftime.

Parker watched the Lady Vols practice on Saturday, and Harper said her presence is a reminder to the players of who they are – and who they can be.

"It's a reminder of the pursuit of excellence and tradition and the expectations here," Harper said. "It also reminds them of who their family is – that's a pretty cool family member."

Harper also had a couple recruits in town this weekend. One of them was Bryanna Preston, a four-star in the 2024 class, who posted multiple photos with Parker from Tennessee's Saturday practice.

The 5-foot-10 point guard from Lovejoy, Georgia, is ranked No. 44 in her class by ESPN and received an offer from Tennessee last fall. Preston posted a video at the Tennessee men's basketball game and photo with Parker on her Instagram story from the Lady Vols' practice on Saturday with a caption tagging Parker that said, "truly an honor."

Preston has offers from Tennessee and a number of SEC schools like Kentucky, Ole Miss, Auburn, Alabama, Mississippi State, Florida and soon to-be-SEC Texas.

Bella Ragone, a 6-foot-1 wing from Braselton, Georgia, was also at Thompson-Boling Arena on Sunday. Ragone is ranked in ESPN's top 25 players of the 2026 class.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Lady Vols great Candace Parker witnesses win in 'Summitt Blue' jerseys