WNBA icon Candace Parker hinted that she has specific players in mind who she wants her new team to take in the draft

• Candace Parker shared her thoughts about the WNBA Draft with Insider ahead of this year's show.
• The newly-minted Chicago Sky star trusts coach and GM James Wade "to make the final decision."
• But like anyone else, Parker apparently has opinions about which players the Sky should consider.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Candace Parker is keeping a close eye on this year's WNBA Draft.

The two-time league MVP and reigning Defensive Player of the Year will suit up for a new team for the first time in her illustrious career this season. And even though her Chicago Sky squad is already stacked with All-Stars like Allie Quigley, Courtney Vandersloot, and Diamond DeShields, Parker is still hungry to bring more top-notch talent to the Windy City before her Sky debut.

"Obviously, we've been keeping our eyes on what players are coming out, what names are going into the portal, and who would possibly be there during the Chicago pick," Parker told Insider during a recent interview. "This year's draft is going to be different because you don't know who's coming out and who's staying – all of that."

"I think it's going to be a different situation."

Due to the NCAA's decision to grant players an extra year of eligibility in light of the impact COVID-19 had on their collegiate careers, players at colleges and universities were required to submit themselves for WNBA Draft consideration for the first time in the league's history.

So when Insider spoke with Parker, the list of 52 players who had opted into the draft was not publicly available.

However, despite the complicated and unprecedented nature of this year's draft, the superstar expressed the utmost confidence in her new coach and general manager, James Wade.

"He can take input and things like that, but we all trust him to make the final decision," Parker said. "There's a trust that goes on, but there's also that form of communication that you're gonna add."

Parker has her thoughts on who Chicago should take with the eighth pick

Considering Parker doubles as a basketball analyst for TNT, Wade may be wise to take the opinions of his six-time WNBA first-teamer into account.

Parker mentioned that she had watched this year's NCAA women's tournament. And though she said she has a strong enough relationship with Wade to freely communicate her ideas with him, she laughed at the notion of sending her head coach text messages with her recruiting analysis from college games.

Still, Parker hinted at who she had in mind as her newest Sky teammate, even if she didn't name any specific players.

"If she's there, but I don't think she's gonna be there [when Chicago makes its first pick]," she said. "I think a lot of people need shooting and all that stuff."

As a former Tennessee Volunteers player herself, Parker could very well be referring to Vols superstar Rennia Davis. Insider's round-up of top WNBA experts' mock drafts has Davis going to the Indiana Fever with the fourth overall pick in Thursday's draft, well ahead of the Sky's No. 8 pick.

That said, Parker noted her ideal candidate is a shooter. And though Davis "is a multidimensional scorer and good defender," according to ESPN's Mechelle Voepel, "she shot just 26% from behind the arc, which is something she will need to improve." That doesn't exactly mesh with Parker's vision of a player who would help her new team's shooting efforts.

But Aari McDonald certainly fits the bill

The small but mighty superstar put on a clinic during March Madness to lead her No. 3 Arizona Wildcats on a surprise run to the national championship game. And with an average of 24.8 points per game on an impressive 47% shooting from the floor and 48% clip from behind the arc through her six 2021 NCAA tournament games, McDonald is indubitably one of the best shooters available.

Her name recognition - it's pronounced Air-y, by the way - and draft stock both skyrocketed as a result of her dazzling NCAA tournament performances. Insider's mock draft has McDonald off the board with the Dallas Wings' fifth overall pick, which is considerably higher than experts expected her to go just weeks ago.

Perhaps Parker jumped on the Aari McDonald hype train along with everyone else. After all, Parker spoke with Insider on April 2 - just hours before McDonald torched Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies with a game-high 26 points in the Final Four and four days after the 5-foot-6 guard dropped 33 points on 5-of-6 three-point shooting against Indiana in the Elite Eight.

There's no way to be sure who Parker had in mind, and surely there are plenty of other players - Stanford's Kiana Williams, Louisville's Dana Evans, Rutgers' Arella Guirantes, Alabama's Jasmine Walker, and UCLA's Michaela Onyenwere, to name a few - who match the WNBA star's description.

Regardless, Parker will almost certainly be watching as Wade makes his picks Thursday night. Viewers can tune in to join her as the first round kicks off on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET.