How Anna Petrakova Started A Family With A Former Teammate
Published August 12, 2025 9:45 AM PDT
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Updated August 12, 2025 11:30 AM PDT
Candace Parker‘s made plenty of connections over her time in professional basketball … and it looks like the strongest of the bunch is with her wife Anna Petrakova.
The athletes went from playing on the same team to tying the knot and starting a family — all within a decade!
We’re going to take a look into Petrakova’s past and see how her love story with the former WNBA star has played out.
Anna Moved From Russia To The United States
Petrakova’s originally from Russia, and she moved to the United States at the age of 17 to play basketball at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
The athlete, whose older sister also attended the institution, was inducted into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.
Following her graduation from the university, Petrakova returned to Russia and began a career in basketball, and she played for several teams throughout her professional life.
She was also a member of the Russian women’s national basketball team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, which took fourth place.
She Met Candace While Playing For The Same Team
Petrakova and Parker first met while they were both playing for the Russian professional basketball team UMMC Ekaterinburg, where Parker played from 2010 until 2015.
Parker was previously married to former NBA player Shelden Williams, and they welcomed a daughter named Lailaa prior to their divorce, which was finalized in 2016.
Petrakova and Parker grew close while competing together, and although they “denied” their connection at first, they eventually began dating, according to Time.
Petrakova described accepting the idea of having a relationship with another woman as a “long, hard process” — although it evidently worked out.
Anna And Candace Started A Family After Tying The Knot
Parker popped the big question when she was vacationing with Petrakova in Mexico, and they tied the knot in December 2019.
However, the pair managed to keep the news about their nuptials secret, eventually letting the public know about their marriage in 2021.
Parker and Petrakova started a family of their own when they welcomed a son named Airr in February 2022.
The retired athletes later decided to expand their family, and they had a second son, whom they named Hartt, in May 2024.