A giant move forward as Candace Parker named NBA 2K22 cover athlete

The NBA 2K video game has been a staple of gaming collections for over 22 years but its newest iteration will make history. NBA 2K22 will feature a woman on the cover of the game for the very first time. Chicago Sky forward Candace Parker has been named the cover athlete and will be on the cover of the WNBA 25th Anniversary Special Edition of NBA 2K22.

The two-time WNBA MVP is one of several athletes that will be featured on the cover of the video game. Parker graces the cover along with current stars such as Luka Doncic and Kevin Durant, along with legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Dirk Nowitzki.

The WNBA 25th Anniversary Special Edition will be available at Gamestop and is available for $70. It's a physical edition game that will be available on the Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X. It's been a long time coming for the franchise that has become increasingly more progressive in including the WNBA inside of its mainstream video game. NBA 2K20 was the first version of the game to feature WNBA teams and players and 2K21 debuted a female protagonist in its career mode.

Rival Electronic Arts have also made an effort to increase the visibility of female athletes in its products. EA featured the WNBA in its NBA Live 18 video game and put women on the cover of the FIFA 15 video game. FIFA 16 gave players the option to choose female competitors for the first time ever.

NBA 2K22 releases in the United States on September 10th.