Oh baby!

Last year was a year of firsts for Candace Parker.

In 2008 Parker was selected the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks, she was the first woman in the WNBA to win both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player, she captured her first Olympic Gold Medal at the Summer Games in Beijing and last November she eloped.

Entering a new year, Parker confirmed she has a special first to look forward to. This spring, she and husband Shelden Williams of the Sacramento Kings are expecting their first child.

And the timing works out perfectly. Parker says she will continue to work out in preparation to participate in the 2009 WNBA season which kicks off for the Sparks on June 6th. Guess she won’t be playing in Russia as expected but she’s young and assuming there are no complications there’s no reason she can’t return to play quickly.

In a letter to fans, Sparks owners Carla Christofferson and Kathy Goodman write they “are delighted to be adding a new Sparks fan.” Boy or girl, this kid should be dunking in no time (as well as perusing sponsorship offers).

The former face of the Sparks, Lisa Leslie, announced on the same day that Goodman and her Christofferson bought the team that she would miss the entire 2007 season due to pregnancy so we’re guessing the news wasn’t a total shock to the owners.

Still, the health of the Sparks and the WNBA rests somewhat precariously on Parker’s shoulders so there must be added pressure. No male athlete has to account to the league or fans regarding child birth decisions – it’s unfortunate the same can’t be said about female athletes.

Congrats CP – Enjoy the moment!