Candace Parker is the Michael Jordan of women’s basketball.

She won back-to-back NCAA titles with Tennessee. She won MVP honors at both Final Fours and won all the relevant player-of-the-year awards. Her slam dunks made the highlight reels.

She won Olympic gold with Team USA. After going to the Los Angeles Sparks with the first overall pick, Parker won the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year and MVP awards. She scored 18.5 points per game in her first pro season and led the league in rebounding.

But now she faces a career challenge MJ never faced: She is pregnant.

Candace and her hubby, Shelden Williams of the Sacramento Kings, are expecting their first child.

(College recruiters are already on red alert. If the baby is female, expect Pat Summitt to offer her a scholarship for 2027-31.)

As for the Sparks, the team will deal with this like a sports injury. The child is due some time in May, giving Parker time to get in shape for the stretch run.

“All in all, things line up well for us,” general manager Penny Toler told the Los Angeles Times. “We don’t start practice until May 17. And I preface this by assuming everything goes totally smoothly, Candace could return as early as mid-June.”

Her WNBA rivals hope she takes her time coming back:

MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE

Questions to ponder while wondering if “Big Game Bob” Stoops will live up to his old nickname:

• What will become of Adam “Don’t Call Me Pacman” Jones now that Jerry Jones has given up on him? Will any other NFL team touch him?
• Will Blues goaltenders Manny Legace and Chris Mason use this much-needed practice week to regroup?
• Does Trevor Hoffman have enough fastball left to help the Brewers? Or will he become the next Eric Gagne?

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

So why is disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding participating in the Mixed Martial Arts Extreme Cage Fight War program in suburban Detroit on Jan. 24?

Because that is the 15th anniversary of the hit her henchman put on skater Nancy Kerrigan in Motown. Also, Tonya needs the money. She will do almost anything for money.

Remember when Harding pummeled Paula Jones?

When archaeologists look back on our culture, what will they think?

LETTERMAN’S LIST

CBS funnyman David Letterman offered his “Top Ten Signs Are Watching Too Much Football.” They included:

• Only fresh air you’ve had this month is opening door for pizza guy.
• You refer to orange juice as FedEx orange juice.
• When wife finishes making dinner, you dump jug of Gatorade on her.
• You schedule an appointment to talk to your doctor about Andy Reid’s cholesterol.
• Got a telestrator in the bedroom.
• Three words: Norv Turner tattoo.
• Fantasize about Gisele Bundchen falling in love with you and introducing you to Tom Brady.
• When you go to McDonald’s you insist on ordering the McNabb.
• Laura has to keep reminding you you’re still President for two more weeks.
• To be more like your favorite New York Giant, you shoot yourself in the leg

THE PERILS OF SIDELINE REPORTING

ESPN’s Erin Andrews got teased by USC linebacker Rey Maualuga at the Rose Bowl. Once this clip hit the Internets, he had to issue a public apology.

QUIPS ‘R US

Here is what some of America’s leading sports pundits have been writing:

Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel: “Anybody who’s been in South Florida this week can just feel the seething rage that is simmering within Oklahoma’s players and coaches. The Sooners look much like the Gators did two years ago: Angry, focused and possessing a chip on their shoulder the size of a Citrus Bowl cockroach.
Stoops has lost his last four BCS bowl games and allowed an average of 42 points in doing so. He’s seen his program called ‘Chokelahoma’ and has heard the national media ridicule his ‘Big Game Bob’ moniker.”

Rick Reilly, ESPN.com: “Some gifts people give are pointless: Styling mousse to Dick Vitale. An all-you-can-eat card to Kate Moss. The BCS Championship given to Oklahoma or Florida. It means nothing because the BCS has no credibility. Florida? Oklahoma? Who cares? Utah is the national champion. The End. Roll credits.”

Jason Whitlock, FoxSports.com, on Matt Millen joining NBC: “Any list of all-time worst TV decisions must include Millen being run out as the lead studio analyst at playoff time. Are you kidding me? Was O.J. Simpson denied phone privileges?”

Dwight Perry, Seattle Times: “Coincidence? The New England Patriots apply the franchise tag to QB Matt Cassel, just like Gisele Bündchen did with Tom Brady.”

Will Leitch, Deadspin: “The Dolphins were nice this year, but Chad Pennington won’t pull that off again, and, you know, the Wildcat isn’t all that shocking of a formation, after all. The Jets are going to have to start over, and the Bills are still the Bills. The Patriots are going to go 13-3 next year no matter who’s quarterback — I still think they’re signing a big dog running back to dominate ESPN when they’re not updating us on Favre — and we’re going to go through all this, again. Great.”

MEGAPHONE

“We’re going to give up points. We can’t give up 60 . . . unless our offense scores 61.”

Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong, according to the Los Angeles Times.