WNBA Champ Candace Parker, Former Teammate Come Out on 2nd Anniversary; Rapinoe’s New Nike Clothes Line; Top 200 LGBTQ Pro Wrestlers

WNBA Champion Candace Parker Comes Out

Two-time WNBA champion Candace Parker, one of the most decorated basketball players in WNBA and NCAA history, came out on Tuesday in a heartfelt Instagram post celebrating the second anniversary of her marriage to former basketball pro Anya Petrakova.

“Two 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,” Parker said. “To know me or you is to know our love. 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.”

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A post shared by Candace Parker (@candaceparker)

Petrakova and Parker were teammates on the Russian basketball team UMMC Ekaterinburg from 2012 to 2014, capturing three straight Russian Championships and a EuroLeague title together during that time.

Parker also announced that the couple is expecting their first child together, with Parker noting that her daughter Lailaa “is pumped to be a big sister!” The Chicago Sky forward’s announcement adds to the impressive number of out LGBTQ stars in America’s top women’s basketball league – a list that includes Brittney Griner, Layshia Clarendon and Elena Delle Donne.

A two-time WNBA MVP, Parker captured her second WNBA championship in October during her first season with the Chicago Sky – a win that also gave the world an on-court exchange between Parker and Lailaa that will melt any heart. She famously starred with the Los Angeles Sparks for 13 seasons previous to signing with the Sky and won two NCAA national championships under legendary college basketball coach Pat Summit at the University of Tennessee.

Megan Rapinoe And Nike Introduce ‘Victory Unleashed’ Collection

U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team icon Megan Rapinoe is expanding her partnership with sportswear giant Nike with the introduction of Rapinoe’s “Victory Unleashed” apparel collection.

The partnership will introduce a collection of Nike apparel specifically curated from the company’s fall 2021 line by the Women’s World Cup champion that will feature Rapinoe’s “Victory Unleashed” logo, which Nike said represents “community, forward movement and a push for progress.” The company also revealed in a statement that the logo’s design was inspired by the goddess of victory.

I’m excited to announce the next chapter of my partnership with @Nike. It’s not just a relationship around product but a new model for athlete partnerships. I want Nike to grow & evolve with me because we don’t expect anyone else to stay still.⁣⁣ https://t.co/FN2saWXOKB pic.twitter.com/dbkPtF09Lj
— Megan Rapinoe (@mPinoe) December 15, 2021

“When I spoke with Nike about the next chapter in our relationship, what excited us most was building something new. Not a new product. Not a new campaign. But a new model for athlete partnerships,” Rapinoe said. “It’s about what Nike and I can do together … to redefine what victory means for all communities and all people. This partnership is about pushing for progress in many different areas. I’ve had free reign to explore different parts of Nike, and I keep finding ways we can open doors for people.”

The Rapinoe-curated collection is due out in 2022 while a line of apparel co-created by Rapinoe is scheduled for a 2023 release.

Queer Wrestling Index 200: Pro Wrestling But Make It Gayer

The landscape of pro wrestling has shifted mightily in recent years for LGBTQ communities as more figures feel empowered to come out publicly and more promotions, both major and independent, embrace authentic representation of LGBTQ identities. The latest evidence of that came last week with the release of Outsports’ Queer Wrestling Index (QWI) 200, a list of the top 200 out LGBTQ pro wrestlers of 2021.

(Disclosure: Brian Bell curated and wrote the QWI 200 list for Outsports.)

Released over seven days last week, the comprehensive list includes performers at all levels — rookies to absolute legends of the ring; hailing from a dozen countries, and spanning the full range of LGBTQ identity and expression including multiple trans and gender diverse grapplers.

Start with the top 20, but no reason to stop there. Access the full list, here.