Candace Parker pays tribute to female trailblazers as she is named among most marketable athletes in 2021

WNBA star Candace Parker has paid tribute to female trailblazers - including gymnast Simone Biles - after being named in SportsPro's 50 Most Marketable athletes.

Chicago Sky forward Parker has ranked 22nd in the list for 2021, two sports ahead of LeBron James in 24, after a stellar year which saw her become the first female cover star of an NBA video game.

Biles claimed the number one position from Lionel Messi, who was top in 2020 but fell to 12 this time around.

SportsPro's list was compiled by assessing how diverse and engaged an athlete's audience was with their content, rather than simply analysing follower counts on social media.

As a result, the list makes for some interesting results, with Biles, tennis star Naomi Osaka and Orlando Pride goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris forming an all-female top three, with Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez in fourth.

SportsPro notes that "it is not just that Simone Biles is the most marketable athlete in the world; close to 40 per cent of the top 50 are women."

"Over the past few years, women's sports have seen a significant spike in audience growth, with the most important factor being the level of passion that fans have for their favourite players and team," it added.

"That fan passion is not just seen in the stands; it is seen in the high level of social media engagement female athletes receive, which is often higher relative to follower size versus what is typically seen from the fans of men's sports."

Speaking as part of a wide-ranging interview following the announcement, Parker credited the female trailblazers that went before her in opening up the doors of opportunity as she continues to do the same for others.

When asked about four-time Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Biles' achievement of ranking first in the 2021 edition of the list, Parker emphasised that "it's important for young girls to understand they can own their greatness".

"I think it says a lot of the people that have come before me because I know that we're opening up more doors and we always talk about the opportunities that we're opening up for the next generation.

"But the generation before me opened up all of these doors, for me to be able to first go out and do what I love and second be able to go beyond that," the 35-year-old said, still one of the star names in the WNBA as the league celebrates its 25th season.

"I think the biggest thing is, for so long, women's basketball and women's sports has been pigeonholed into this corner. And it's just because that's the way things have always been.

"I grew up playing with my brothers, so to have a shoe, to be on a video game and to have a commercial were the three goals when you were shooting in your driveway. To be able to see yourself on a video game, I think it says how far we've come and how far women's sports has come."

As for potential brand partnerships, Parker is conscious of finding the right company that aligns with her beliefs and values.

"You definitely have to find that correct and right partnership messaging. I think it's so important for me to understand that I'm definitely a mom first. Obviously pro-equality, pro-women and pro-representation.

"It's important for that organisation, brand, company to reflect those values as well."

Parker also heaped praise on Biles, who was the subject of criticism on social media after withdrawing from the gymnastics women's team final at the Tokyo Olympics for mental health reasons.

"To be fearless, every day, I think that inspires more than just gymnasts, it inspires everyone. People that can't even do cartwheels are inspired by what she does every day.

"So I think just from her character, her fearlessness and her ability to be who she is... I think that's important for young girls to understand they can own their greatness."