WNBA Star Announces She’s Married and Expecting a Baby With Her Wife

Congratulations are in order for Candace Parker! The WNBA star shared an exciting life update on Tuesday, announcing that she and her partner Anya Petrakova are married and are also expecting their first child together. The little one on the way will join big sister Lailaa, Parker’s 12-year-old daughter whom she shares with her ex-husband, NBA player Shelden Williams.

Parker made the exciting announcement in a post marking her and Petrakova’s two-year anniversary. The Chicago Sky captain, who helped lead her hometown team to their first-ever WNBA Championship last season, shared a gallery of images with snapshots from their wedding day as well as photos of Petrakova cradling her baby bump as she stood on the beach. Another image showed the happy couple with Lailaa. Writing “Happy Anniversary,” Parker went on to share that “2 years ago, I got to marry my best friend in front of our close family and friends. My heart could have exploded. I cried like a baby.”

“This journey hasn’t been easy. I am proud of us and what we have built and who we have grown to become both individually and together,” Parker continued. “Thank you for always loving Lailaa as your own, being my calm, my support, my voice of reason, my laughs, my cuddles, my dance in the rain, my happy, my home… Thanks for constantly challenging me and telling me when I’m wrong. I LOVE YOU. I appreciate you, I value you and what we have.”

Parker went on to share that she and her wife have “always dreamed of growing our family,” adding that “it’s surreal that we now have a baby on the way!” She revealed that “Lailaa is pumped to be a big sister!” She concluded the post with a sweet message to Petrakova, writing, “you couldn’t be more beautiful! Glowing, while understanding that I have to constantly love, kiss, and talk to your belly AND yes… play Jay-Z for the baby.” Parker said she “can’t wait to embark on this next chapter in life with you!”

Petrakova is a former pro basketball player, who, the New York Post reports, was part of the Russia women’s national team that placed fourth at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Parker and Petrakova’s happy news on Tuesday was met with an outpouring of love and congratulatory messages, with sports journalist Taylor Rooks commenting, “o beautiful!! Happy anniversary and congratulations!!!” The official WNBA account wrote, “Congratulations,” with retired basketball player Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton adding, “Happy Anniversary!! Can’t wait to meet the new addition to the family!!! PS: them d- sparklers at your wedding about took us all out lol.”