When she walked up to Gabrielle Union to tell her she knew everything about her movies, it turned out Union knew everything about Parker.

"She was like, `I know who you are; you have two brothers,' " Parker said, a giddy tone still in her voice. "I was like, `She really knows who I am.' "

There are few people who do not know the Naperville, Ill., Central graduate now.

Parker will be back near her hometown tomorrow to lead No. 3 Tennessee (10-1) against No. 12 DePaul (11-1) and then play Saturday in South Bend against No. 16 Notre Dame.

If she forgoes her final year of eligibility at Tennessee to play in the WNBA — and she sounds increasingly as if she will be the first woman to make the early jump — even more people will be like Union and instantly recognize Parker.

"I think she has the whole package," said Nancy Lieberman, a Hall of Famer and current ESPN analyst. "She can dunk, score, defend. She has likability. She's pretty. She's smart. I think Candace Parker really is the poster child for marketing women's basketball in the future."

Parker has little left to prove in the college game. Duplicating last season's national championship would be a perfect way for Parker to end her college career.

"It's really whether I'm going to stay late," said Parker, a 6-foot-4-inch redshirt junior who is on schedule to graduate in May. "It's leaning toward me not being at Tennessee next year."

Other talented and affable players have entered the WNBA, from Lisa Leslie to Diana Taurasi, but none has had the impact some expect from Parker.

Lieberman calls Parker "the gatekeeper of the game" and expects her to be the No. 1 pick.

It helps that Parker's skills surpass her celebrity, of course.

Parker, an accomplished shooter, passer, rebounder and shot blocker, averages 22.1 points and nearly nine rebounds per game. She has displayed improvement in her post-up game.

"She's very dedicated to getting in the gym or and working on skills," Tennessee coach Pat Summit said.

Parker grew up tagging along with her parents, Sara and Larry, to watch her brothers play. Anthony Parker is now with the Toronto Raptors and her brother Marcus played in high school before becoming a doctor.

"She has seen more basketball than most people," said Larry Parker, a former player at Iowa. "Even as a 3rd or 4th grader, she could recognize zones, a box-and-one or a triangle-and-two. She knew the game."

As a sophomore and junior at Naperville Central, Parker was one of the first to arrive at practice and one of the first to leave—only to go watch a game. As a senior, she was usually the last to leave practices as well.

"In 20 years, I've never had a player who had more talent, worked harder or loved basketball more than Candace," Naperville Central coach Andy Nussbaum said.

Parker, who has overcome knee injuries, is so versatile the Vols list her as guard, forward and center and she has played all five positions.

After becoming the first female to win a dunk contest as a McDonald's All-American, Parker also became the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game and first to dunk twice in a game.

That flexibility should translate to the professional level as well.

"With her size and skill level, we haven't seen a player like that," Chicago Sky assistant coach Stephanie White said.

The Sky have the No. 2 pick in the 2008 WNBA draft.

"She can play above the rim and below it," White said. "She can change the face of the WNBA game and the whole league."

Some say her marketability and talents could transcend basketball, much like Mia Hamm did in soccer.

Engaged to former Duke player and Atlanta Hawks rookie Shelden Williams, Parker was named one of People Magazine's 100 most beautiful people.

Wu Tang Clan even mentions Parker in its song "Starter":

"Still the athlete, play of the week,

G.P.A. 4.0 and the game's complete,

Skin tone butter cream, all defensive team,

Dreamgirl like Jennifer Hudson, you're my queen."

Her family does not let any of this go to her head.

When Larry Parker can't get in touch with his daughter, he teases her, "Oh, so sorry. Should I contact your publicist? I forgot you're one of the hundred most beautiful people."

None of it has seemed to cause a rift with teammates either.

In high school, Nussbaum recalled a game where Parker went to the bench and immediately started filling up water cups for teammates. Another time, he said, an assistant coach almost yelled at her for checking the scorebook during a game—until he realized she was trying to find which teammates needed more shots.

At Tennessee, she handles attention as well as the ball.

"It's not easy," Summit said. "I've been there with a number of players. She has been very willing to sign autographs and talk to fans. She shows a lot of poise and understanding of her role."

Of course, Parker has present business to finish before the next step.

Tennessee is trying to rebound from an overtime loss to Stanford, and Parker yearns to be a two-time national champion. The game against DePaul is sold out, including tickets for her grandmothers.

After that, Lieberman said, the world is hers.