NBA 2K22 will release September 10th on all gaming platforms, and one of the editions of the game will include WNBA star Candace Parker. This is a big moment for the series, as covers have always included NBA athletes since the first game. However, the argument could be made that Parker deserves to grace the cover of the Standard Edition of NBA 2K22 instead of being designated to a WNBA-specific version of the game - especially one that is only available at one select retailer.
NBA 2K22 will have six cover athletes across four different editions of the game this year, with Dallas Mavericks player Luka Doncic on the cover of the Standard Edition and Cross-Gen Digital Bundle. The NBA 75th Anniversary Edition has three players on the cover, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin Durant and Dirk Nowitzki representing the history of the league. Another Standard Edition of NBA 2K22 will feature Rui Hachimura of the Washington Wizards on the cover, but this edition will only sold in Japan to celebrate Hachimura being the first Japanese player selected in the first round of the NBA draft.
The final edition of NBA 2K22 is the WNBA 25th Anniversary Special Edition, with Candace Parker gracing the cover. Parker will serve as the first WNBA player on a cover in NBA 2K history, which is a huge milestone for the franchise. However, this edition of the game will only be sold as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S physical editions at GameStop in the United States, which is a questionable choice by 2K Sports.
Why Candace Parker Should've Been The Main Cover Athlete
The NBA 2K franchise has made strides to give WNBA players and teams more of a platform in recent games, with WNBA teams first being included in NBA 2K2o, and NBA 2K21 including a new mode called The W that was a single-player career mode for the WNBA. Including Candace Parker on the cover of NBA 2K22 is a big step for representation of women's professional basketball, with Parker stating that it is a "testament to the growth and rising popularity of the women's game." What doesn't make sense is diminishing this historic moment in the NBA 2K series by limiting the cover to a special edition of the game.
Candace Parker is a logical choice to have as a NBA 2K cover athlete, having been in the WNBA since 2008. Primarily playing forward, Parker has been a six-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA MVP during her tenure in the league. She also won the WNBA Finals MVP in 2016, adding to her extensive list of accomplishments that led her to getting a cover nod. However, limiting Parker to a special edition of NBA 2K22 isn't enough to honor her achievements in the sport.
2K Sports could have easily made the decision to put Candace Parker on the Standard Edition, giving Parker and the WNBA the positive exposure that they deserve. Parker's impressive resume and impact on the WNBA makes her extremely qualified to be the main cover star of a NBA 2K game, and would stand as a more grand gesture to increase representation of WNBA athletes than only selling physical editions of the WNBA edition. Here's hoping that the sequel to NBA 2K22 will take the leap and include a WNBA star on the main game cover art, giving the WNBA the attention they deserve.
Source: 2K Sports