WNBA Star Candace Parker Shares Swimsuit Photo From the Pool

WNBA Star Candace Parker took time out of her very busy day-to-day life to relax with wife Anna Petrakova. Parker, 37, shared pictures of herself wearing an orange swimsuit as she and Petrakova enjoyed a dip in a beautiful pool, against a stunning sunset background. “I don’t care if we on the run….. baby long as I’m next to you…And if loving you is a crime…Tell me why do I bring out the best in you,” she captioned the sweet post. Parker is a businesswoman and a parent on top of being a star athlete—here’s how she makes it all work.

1. Daily Routine

Parker’s daily routine is built around training. “I start my day with a light breakfast and then head to shootaround,” she says. “Then I eat a solid lunch and take a nap – which is important to my routine. Following my nap, I shower and then grab a Muscle Milk as I head to the game. Right after the game, I drink another Muscle Milk. Protein is essential post-workout and game. It’s packed full of protein and the nutrients that I need to recover and push through to the next workout or game. Muscle Milk’s vanilla and strawberry protein shakes are my favorites – I always have those on hand.”

2. One Step At a Time

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Parker’s advice to anyone starting a healthy lifestyle is to make small lifestyle adjustments. “I would say that the first step is to just get up and move,” she says. “Even for just ten minutes, find something that makes your heart rate elevated and that feels good for you. At the beginning of the New Year, we often make these aggressive workout regimens, and it’s hard to stick to something if you’re going from zero to 100. Carve out ten minutes a day to move your body – that can even be a walk around your neighborhood. Those ten minutes can turn into 20 minutes and then into 30 minutes.”

3. Setting An Example

Parker sets a good example for her daughter on what a healthy lifestyle looks like. “It’s so important for me, not just as a professional athlete, but as a mom, to show my daughter a healthy way of life,” she says. “Yes, it is eating, it is taking care of yourself in that way, but it’s also having an active lifestyle. And a lot of people because they don’t know how or they don’t know what to do, they don’t do it. And so, obviously girls in sports and activity and movement are things that I’m super passionate about.”

4. Protein Packed

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Parker’s diet is protein-packed and mostly healthy. "I usually eat four meals a day, especially on game days," she says. "I stick to whole grains, and don't eat red meat more than once or twice a week. (I stick to chicken, fish—stuff like that.) I used to have a huge sweet tooth, but now instead of Oreos I'll have grapes, instead of a huge sundae I'll have granola."

5. Simplicity Is Key

Parker has struggled with embracing simplicity. “I think simplicity has always been difficult for me,” she says. “I think physically because you know, I’ve been versatile and have played multiple positions. I think simplicity was always, you know, me dribbling and me doing this and whatever. And now I’ve just learned that simplicity is key, doing things with the least amount of motion is going to benefit me greatly. So I think that is the biggest thing to me is just yes, I can dribble and do that, but it’s more beneficial for me to be able to do it with less motion. So I think that’s been my off-season mantra has been ‘simplicity is key.’”

Caitlin Clark is a superstar in women’s basketball. She first made waves in the 2023 and 2024 NCAA Tournament, as a member of the Iowa Hawkeyes team. Clark was the Division 1 leader in points and three-points, and broke a record in assists. Clark was the first pick in the WNBA draft, and currently plays for the Indiana Fever. She and her teammate, Lexi Hull, had a lake day, and Katie Lou Samuelson shared a photo of the two on her Instagram story. How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Caitlin Clark stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

1. She Plays Basketball

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Naturally, basketball is the main way Clark stays in shape. Fitness Advisory states that the sport can strengthen your body. “Basketball requires you to jump while playing, as well as running back and forth multiple times. In a basketball game, you rely on your body positioning and the ability to maintain that position when an opponent is pushing against you. This is why playing basketball can strengthen all parts of your body, especially your core muscles, neck, lower back, and arms.”

2. She Swims

As you can see from the Instagram story, Clark likes to swim to stay in shape. Swimming.org states that the activity has a lot of benefits. “Swimming uses all the muscles in the body so whether you swim a gentle breaststroke or hammer butterfly, you will get a full body workout. Plus, exercising in water makes your body work harder so 30 minutes in a pool is worth 45 minutes of the same activity on land.”

2. She Plays Golf

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Clark loves to play golf. She talked about how she got into the sport and what she likes about it to Golf Digest. “Our coaches were like, ‘You need to get away from the gym,’ even though that’s really hard for me to do sometimes. I still want to be active and do something, so I’m going to go to the golf course. You can clear your mind, do something you really love, and have the peace and quiet of just your friends around or even just yourself. I love being able to escape reality for a little bit.”

4. She’s Working On Herself

Clark tells Golf Digest that she wants to get tougher in her sports. “Something I can always improve on is my mental toughness. You have one bad shot on the golf course or on the basketball court, you gotta move on to the next. Obviously in basketball, I have four other girls on the court with me that I can lean on if I’m not having a good day or shooting well. If I’m on the golf course, it’s all on me. You have to accept that not every day is gonna be great for you. That’s helped me by translating that to basketball.”

5. She’s Grateful

Clark is extremely grateful to the fans that supported her during the NCAA, and made sure to thank the fans after a game. “I think the people that have made it the most special, obviously my teammates, my coaches,” Clark said. “But it isn’t what it is without all of you I mean that and I thank you. This is special. I don’t know if you guys realize what you’re doing for women’s basketball and women’s sports in general, but you’re changing it. You’re helping us change it.”

WNBA star and free agent Te'a Cooper has clearly learned to love swimsuit photoshoots since appearing in Sports Illustrated. Cooper, 26, enjoyed some downtime by hitting the pool, and shared the photos on her Instagram. The athlete can be seen posing in the water in a vibrant red bikini, completing the look with a beautiful blue necklace and dark sunglasses, her hair pulled into a ponytail. “Te’a SWIM WEEK 💦🫶 @target,” she captioned the post. “My girly,” commented fellow player Angel Reese. Here’s how Cooper stays fit, beautiful, and on top.

1. Vegan Diet

Cooper cooks her own meals as much as possible. “I recently just tried going vegan for a few months and it was great,” she says. “I felt great. My body felt great. I had a lot of energy. It’s just refreshing. This past year, I just started cooking regularly. I cook breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, so I’m just now getting into that. I guess you can really tell the difference more if you aren’t an athlete, but I really did feel the effect of eating vegan foods in the off-season. Energy-wise, during the day, when I’m not doing anything and I’m not sleepy without practicing stuff, I think that’s when I felt the difference more. It’s a huge difference, honestly.”

2. Sports Illustrated Model

Cooper is a Sports Illustrated model, and while she was surprised to be asked to take part, she was thrilled in the end. Being with her fellow athletes at the shoot in St. Thomas helped make her feel more comfortable. “When I got the call, I initially [thought], ‘Did they call the right person?’” she joked.“It kind of felt like I was getting ready for a game. It was really comfortable. I was super excited to just be with them and see them be out of their element, too. They are so empowering. They just really make you comfortable in your own skin.”

3. Embrace the Roller Coaster

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Cooper believes in embracing the journey, both ups and downs. “Everything’s not always gonna be up — it’s a roller coaster,” she says. “Sports teaches you the beauty of the ups and downs… I think for mental health purposes, enjoy that roller coaster. So, you know, things happen, but it always has a way of working out. So no matter where I am in life, I just feel like it’s gonna work out. Unfortunate things happen, but it’s like I’ve been there before, been down before, so I’m gonna be up soon, and I just kind of stay humble and stay in the middle and just stay steady, honestly.”

4. Fashion Forward

Cooper loves how the WNBA players are becoming known for their fashion as well as their skills. “I took the game day ‘fits very seriously,” she says. “I would say embracing your own style and confidently walking in your own style [is important]. How you see yourself and what you put out there — the evolution of you and just seeing your style grow — I think is the most interesting aspect of it. I love fashion and I definitely want to be on a runway someday!

5. Self-Care Is Self-Love

For Cooper, self-care is about a healthy lifestyle. “I think really, a lot of things are mental,” she says. “People think eating healthy is like you’re on a diet or you’re trying to lose weight when really it can be a lifestyle. Like you just wanna be cleaner, you just wanna be healthier mentally, physically, emotionally, and some of that has to do with your food. I think just focusing on yourself and making sure you feel good is the best advice I can give. Everybody’s story is different and everybody’s emotions are different, so my advice won’t help somebody who’s not me—but just taking care of yourself could help everybody.”

The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) showcases extraordinary athletes whose physical prowess and dedication to their craft are nothing short of inspiring. From setting goals and adopting healthy lifestyles to overcoming obstacles and using their platforms for social change, these remarkable women offer valuable insights into their journeys both on and off the court. Here, we delve into the stories of 20 WNBA players who have shared their experiences, highlighting their approaches to wellness, training regimens, and personal philosophies. From Lisa Leslie's goal-oriented mindset to Kelsey Plum's advocacy against sexism, each player brings a unique perspective to the table. Whether it's diet and exercise, mental fortitude, or using their voices for important causes, these athletes demonstrate what it takes to achieve greatness both physically and mentally.

1. Lisa Leslie

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Lisa Leslie shared some of her tips to stay positive and productive in an interview with People. "I love to set goals,” she says. “Short-term goals and goals I want to achieve within one year. When I set those goals, it's still somebody that's got to be the best, so why not me?"

2. Sheryl Swoopes

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In an interview with Oprah Daily, Sheryl Swoopes talked about the best advice she’s received. “The best thing that my mom said to me growing up was, ‘Stop trying to be like somebody else and just be you.’ And I was always like, ‘I’m not trying to be someone else.’ But I was. I would look around and think, ‘My friends have so much more money, they live in a bigger house, they have better clothes.’ It took me until my adulthood to really, truly, finally grasp that I was doing that.”

3. Diana Taurasi

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In a 2018 interview with Women Fitness, Diana Taurasi talked about her vegan diet. “I think it is something I have really benefitted from,” she says. “Just staying away from foods that cause a lot of inflammation, fats and sugars that everyone knows are obviously a little counterproductive if you eat large amounts of them. So, I have stayed more on a plant-based diet and it has really benefitted me, but everyone has a different take on food and what they need.”

4. Maya Moore

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Maya Moore is known for giving back to others. In an interview with Sports Illustrated Kids, she talked about wanting to be a role model for others. “I think a good team leader, first and foremost, is someone who leads by example. Someone who walks the walk and is unselfish, willing to serve and help give as much as they can to help their group succeed. I think a good team leader is also a good teammate and doesn’t expect everyone to only think about them. They realize that they are part of a team and that they have a leadership role.”

5. Breanna Stewart

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Breanna Stewart shared some of her favorite workouts in an interview on Redbull.com. "I need to make sure that my body is ready and that means getting in the weight room. I just work everything—upper and lower body. I also do Pilates to make sure that my core is strong. When I’m on the court, I’m using everything, so I want to make sure that my whole body is ready to go.”

6. Candace Parker

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In an interview with ESPN, Candace Parker talked about her mindset and journey to winning games. “I look at guys like [the NBA’s Nikola] Jovic and guys that are slower that get to their spots. How do they do that? It’s like, really being a master of your matchup, and sometimes it involves slowing down and figuring out what the defense is giving you within a game.”

7. Sue Bird

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Sue Bird shared some of her favorite meals and foods in an interview with Women’s Health. "Breakfast is my favorite meal so I literally never miss it," she said. "I will wake up an hour early if it means I can get breakfast in. I'm obsessed with egg sandwiches.”

8. Elena Delle Donne

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Elena Delle Donne has Lyme disease, and she makes sure to take care of it. “Eating healthy is really important to me in managing my Lyme disease,” she explains to TheKitchn.com. “I try to eat gluten-free as often as possible.” Donne also shared some of her favorite meals in the interview. “One of my favorite dishes to make for dinner is a pesto chicken with sautéed onions.”

9. Skylar Diggins-Smith

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Skylar Diggins-Smith talked about some of her favorite workouts in an interview with ELLE. She says that she does a lot of box jumps to stay in shape. “A 12-inch box will work to do your box jumps. Box jumps help with explosions, verticals, and your legs get a good workout. I also do a lot of stuff for my core too, so planks and side planks.”

10. Tina Charles

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Tina Charles opened up about her attitude on the court in an interview with The Daily Beast. “I’m all about winning,” she says. “Everybody has a role on the team. Some carry a heavier load. But I’m willing to do that night in and night out. I’m really thankful.”

11. Nneka Ogwumike

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Nneka Ogwumike shared some of her diet and exercise secrets in an interview with ESPN. She says that she learned that she had to reduce the amount of exercise she does. “I used to think that you had to do everything to really get the benefits. But everyone's body is different. I learned that my body doesn't need so much. It reacts very quickly to whatever I eat or whatever training I do, so I try to really limit all the extra stuff and keep it simple.”

12. Seimone Augustus

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In an interview with The Athletic, Seimone Augustus talked about her approach to exercise. “Obviously as we get older, we start to focus more just trying to make sure we’re fueling our body in the right way and making sure we’re keeping ourselves prepared to come on the court and perform at our highest. But it’s always a struggle. I’m not going to lie, people. It is a struggle to eat healthy. But it’s fun to kind of challenge yourself in different ways as well.”

13. Angel McCoughtry

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Angel McCoughtry talked about why she spoke out against Kelly Loeffler’s comments to the Black Lives Matter movement and why she joined the Say Her Name Campaign to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It was really important to me, not just for Louisville -- of course that hit home a little bit. But just in general, we were just tired of seeing so much happen, one after the next after the next. We get to see it on video. But it was just important to try to find some type of initiative while playing basketball that we could kind of advocate for. That's how we were able to do the Say Her Name campaign, and it has become a big success. So I've been really proud of what's come out of it.”

14. Liz Cambage

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In an interview with Women’s Health, Liz Cambage talked about her approach to wellness, and revealed the best advice she received. “The best advice I've ever received is, that you have to live your life, not someone else's. Do what's good for you. If someone's commenting on yours and what you should be doing, tell them to go focus on theirs."

15. Jewell Loyd

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Jewell Loyd took Women’s Health through her daily routine. She says that staying hydrated is important to her. “Immediately, I like to drink my water. I’m trying to get close to a gallon a day, so I start with half that amount and then refill my bottle for the rest of the day. Luckily one of the features on my new Samsung Galaxy Watch5 is a water tracking feature, so I can set goals for daily water intake and it reminds me to hit those each day.”

16. Chelsea Gray

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Chelsea Gray notably suffered an injury in college. She tells The Sports Section that this inspired her to not only take better care of herself, but also to learn more about health. “The first step was changing my diet. I got a little bit leaner and smarter about the weight that I put on and carry with my knees and legs. It was the first time I really paid attention to my diet to get the most out of my body. Our body is how we make our money — it’s what we do. And so to be able to, for lack of a better term, treat it like a temple and make sure I know what’s going on inside is important.”

17. Allie Quicgley

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Allie Quigley talked about her process for staying in shape in an interview with High Post Hoops. “Physically just taking care of your body, eating right, getting good rest, doing your exercises in the weight room to keep yourself actually on the court. Basketball wise, just figuring out as a player what it is that is going to make you the most successful. Trying to stick to that and be as efficient as possible.”

18. Natasha Cloud

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Natasha Cloud is known for speaking out about things that are important to her. She shared why she does this in an interview with The Washington City Paper. “We are blessed to be playing and having a platform at the WNBA, blessed to play for a coach that backs us when we do speak up and feel strongly about stuff and supports us in it,” Cloud says. “Also we’re in the most powerful city in the world, in D.C., so there’s a lot of controversy always here that we can speak on. I feel like if I don’t use my platform, and don’t use my voice, then I’m doing a [disservice] to a lot of people out here in the world.”

19. Kelsey Plum

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Kelsey Plum is all about promoting change. In 2017, Plum talked to The Bleacher Report about the sexism she faces as a basketball player. “I tell people, I don't play women's basketball, I play basketball. Putting the ‘women's’ next to it shouldn't be an asterisk, like it's "less than." I have been given a little bit of a spotlight, and I hope to show that we can keep moving forward in convincing people that women are just as capable as men.”

20. Kia Nurse

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Kia Nurse opened up about her offseason activities in an interview with BarDown. “Some days, it hits more than others. Right now, this is my offseason, this week that I have now not doing anything physical will be the rest that I get. [laughs] Then, getting ramped up and ready to go again for the WNBA season will be all of the next preparation.”

WNBA star Candace Parker is all about the “slim thick” body, and weights are her method of achieving it. Parker, 37, shared a video of herself wearing black shorts with a matching tank top, lifting a heavy barbell at the gym. She made it look easy—it’s definitely not! “Slim Thick🤪💪🏽,” she captioned the post. “Those who put in the hard work will see the best results,” an admiring fan commented. Here’s how Parker takes care of her health and happiness and lives her best life.

1. Slow Start To the Day

Parker likes to ease into her day. “I don’t like to wake up and immediately start,” she told Fast Company. “I need a second. So I set my alarm for earlier so that I can lie in bed and just breathe. I’ll have my coffee in the morning, and then I’ll usually work out, then eat breakfast. I’m very big on the reward of things. I schedule everything. The pandemic helped me understand how important it is to schedule time for yourself and for your family.”

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2. Learning From Kobe

Parker makes workout contracts with herself after learning the trick from the late Kobe Bryant. “The hardest thing for me is working out on Mondays,” she told Fast Company. “I take a 6 a.m. flight to Atlanta for my broadcast job, and when I land, before I go to the studio, I always get on the elliptical or the treadmill, or I’ll lift. And that’s hard. One of my mentors, Kobe Bryant, always used to make contracts with himself because, you know, it sounds great the night before, and then the morning rolls around and you hit snooze.”

3. Tequila and Red Wine

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Parker’s drink of choice is Casa Azul tequila or a good California red. “I love a big, bold Cab,” she told NY Mag. “I’ve kind of gotten more into Burgundies lately. Nothing beats a good bottle of red wine with my steak off the grill. I actually had that last night! My wife and I just went to Santa Barbara, and we learned that Crown Point is trying to be the first hundred-point Cab in Santa Barbara. I like being early on stuff, so I don’t really go with the big vineyards that have more overproduced wine. I kind of go more low-key — not VIP — but exclusive type of stuff.”

4. Starbucks Holiday Lattes

Parker is a big fan of the Starbucks holiday drinks. “I get excited about Christmas, but really I get excited about the Christmas drinks at Starbucks,” she told NY Mag. “The gingerbread latte is my go-to, and then I feel just so empty after the holidays are over because I don’t know what my drink at Starbucks will be after that. And then I have to go through this process of trying to find my drink again, and then wait for the fall basically. My go-to order is a (hot) venti oat-milk latte with one pump of pumpkin-spice syrup. I will drink hot coffee when it’s 95 degrees outside. I cannot drink iced coffee.”

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5. Book Lover

Parker tries not to watch TV right before bed, preferring books. “I’m an avid reader, and my favorite book is Chop Wood, Carry Water by Joshua Medcalf,” she told Chicago Magazine. “He talks about focusing on the preparation and relinquishing the results. And I’m one of those people who, if I had a chance to be the hero and take the last shot but an 80 percent chance of missing it, I would take the shot. So I’m choosing to come home to Chicago regardless of what the outcome is. I want to end my career where I started it, and whatever happens in between is out of my control.”