MMOgrfy: Candace Parker was chosen to cover NBA2K22

MMOgrfy

Candace Parker was chosen to cover NBA2K22. This is the first time that 2k22 mt a female basketball player has won this distinction. It was actually her Los Angeles Sparks teammate and mentor Lisa Leslie who paved the way for women to be featured in basketball games. Leslie was a Humungous Entertainment's Backyard Basketball player (2001) prior to the release of PlayStation 5 and 3.

When it was the Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Garnett who was featured on the cover of original Backyard Basketball, Leslie was present in the game and you could play as her and Garnett.

Sheryl Swoopes as well as Cynthia Cooper, Houston Comets' stars, were both absent during the 2001 WNBA season. Cooper is a two-time MVP, and four-time champion retired following the season of 2000. He returned in 2003. Swoopes was a part of those four championships and was also the league's reigning MVP the 2001 season due to a torn ACL. Leslie not only received the MVP award in 2001 but she also was named the 2001 Finals MVP after helping the Sparks achieve their first championship on Sept. 1. A month later, Backyard Basketball was released with her being the sole real-life female basketball player (Garnett was the sole male player) instead of Cooper and Swoopes.

Cooper and Swoopes were among the first to be recognized as the WNBA's authentic faces however, it was Leslie who was the first to be identified as the league's face for Backyard Basketball's intended audience including me. Leslie was the first WNBA player I saw who helped me become a participant in women's basketball.

My enthusiasm for the sport increased gradually from there. I can remember Diana Taurasi being featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated alongside Emeka Okafor after their UConn Huskies won the national championship in both men's and buy Nba 2k22 Mt women's basketball in 2004.