University of Tennessee Athletics
Parker Stands Out In Olympic Crowd
July 31, 2012 | Women's Basketball
July 31, 2012
LONDON -- Former Tennessee All-American and NCAA Champion Candace Parker is off to an impressive start in her second tour of duty with the USA Women's Olympic Basketball Team.
After helping the Americans strike gold in Beijing in 2008, a more-seasoned Parker is back in 2012 and hoping to help Team USA claim its fifth-consecutive gold medal at the Olympic Games. Her experience and level of confidence have been evident in her squad's first two contests at the Olympic Park Basketball Arena in London.
On Monday night, Parker recorded her second-consecutive double-double at the 2012 Olympiad, tallying 14 points and 12 rebounds in a 90-38 romp over Angola in Group A Preliminary Round action. For good measure, the UT product blocked a U.S. Olympic Women's Basketball single-game record four shots as the Red, White and Blue won its 35th-straight contest in Olympic play.
"I thought it was a tremendous performance by Candace, USA Head Coach Geno Auriemma said afterward. "We saw a little bit of everything that she's capable of doing. There are things that Candace can do that no other player can do. Tonight was a perfect example of that. And it started right from the beginning of the game.
"The one thing that we've been really, really, really harping on Candace is to really sprint the floor and get herself in situations to score before the defense gets set and to be a factor in every possession, and I thought tonight she was."
"I think that Coach (Auriemma) and the team are looking for me being confident and playing with intensity," Parker said after her effort vs. Angola. "I think that's my biggest thing is sometimes I get in my own head. I think tonight he just gave me two things to do: just rebound and run the floor. We're going to play defense, but I tried to focus on that and my teammates did a good job of getting me the ball."
On July 28, Parker began her second Olympics with a double-double, dropping in 11 points and yanking down 13 caroms in an 81-56 triumph over Croatia that wasn't decided until the fourth quarter.
Obviously, those double-double efforts have resulted in Parker averaging a double-double. Her 12.5 points per game and 12.5 rebounds per game averages lead the USA thus far. She also paces the squad with three blocks per contest while averaging 24 minutes of action.
Parker and her teammates return to the hardwood on Wednesday, as they face another 2-0 squad in Turkey at 5:15 p.m. Eastern time. The USA defeated Turkey in an exhibition game in Istanbul on July 22 by a score of 80-61.
