Sparks' Parker named WNBA MVP, Rookie of the Year

SAN ANTONIO -- Candace Parker received the WNBA's Most Valuable Player award Friday, becoming the first player to win the award along with the Rookie of the Year honors. The Los Angeles star was unanimously selected Rookie of the Year.

Candace Parker is the first to bag both MVP, ROY honors in the same year. (AP)

The awards capped a big run for Parker, who was college player of the year last season for national champion Tennessee. Parker also was a member of the gold-medal winning U.S. team in the Beijing Olympics.

Parker edged Connecticut's Lindsay Whalen and Seattle's Sue Bird in the MVP race.

"You know, Coach (Michael) Cooper set this goal for me early on, and I looked at him like he was crazy," Parker said. "He's like, 'We're going to win the rookie of the year, and you're going to win a championship and you're going to win the MVP.' I just looked at him like, 'That's what you expect of me already?"'

Parker, the top overall draft pick this year, averaged 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds. She had a high of 40 points and grabbed 10 or more rebounds in 17 games. She led the league in double-doubles with 17, led the league in rebounding and led rookies in scoring, blocks (2.3 bpg) and minutes (33.6 mpg).

In the playoffs, Los Angeles beat Seattle in the Western Conference semifinals before losing to San Antonio in the conference finals.

The all-rookie team, selected by league coaches, included Parker, Minnesota's Candice Wiggins and Nicky Anosike, Chicago's Sylvia Fowles, Houston's Matee Ajavon and Connecticut's Amber Holt. Ajavon and Holt tied for the fifth spot on the team.