Now how on earth does a chick beat out a bunch of guys in a dunk contest?
MIDWEST CITY, Okla. - Candace Parker was already considered one of the best high school basketball players ever, and now she's among the elite in dunking.
Parker, a 6-foot-3 Naperville, Ill., high school senior dunked three times and beat five male competitors Monday night to become the first female to win the POWERade Jam Fest slam dunk competition.
The dunk contest was held in conjunction with the McDonald's All-American boys and girls games. Parker and the other participants will play in the all-star games Wednesday.
The judges gave Parker 223 points with second place going to Joe Crawford, who had 148 points and has said he will sign with Kentucky.
Parker, who will be a freshman at Tennessee next season, finished off the competition with a one-handed jam while covering her eyes with her forearm.
The crowd roared, and seven of the eight judges gave her 10s. Former NFL star Barry Sanders gave her a nine.
Parker first dunked in a game as a high school sophomore.
"I've been dunking the ball since I was 15," she said. "I just wanted to get my first one down and knew I'd be all right."
Parker was named the Naismith Prep Basketball Players of the Year in 2003 and 2004.
She is the second female participant in the dunk contest. Last year, McDonald's All-American Brittany Hunter competed but failed to complete any dunks. She currently plays for Duke.
Previous winners of the dunk contest include Vince Carter, Baron Davis, Carmello Anthony and LeBron James.
If Parker dunks next season at Tennessee, she would be the fourth woman to dunk in a college game and second Lady Vol. Michelle Snow had three dunks in her career from 2000-2002. Lisa Leslie became the first woman to dunk in a professional game in 2002.
The slam dunk contest was scheduled to be televised on ESPN at 8 p.m. EST Wednesday before the boys game.
ESPN2 will tape the girls game and broadcast it at 5 p.m. EST April 1.
I could take her, 6'3 is nothing, how about 5'10, people are always more impressed when shorter people dunk, but she's a girl so its even.
