Sparks star Candace Parker’s No. 3 is No. 1 in WNBA

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Candace Parker was unable to help the Sparks against Phoenix on the court on Tuesday, but the injured superstar did help Los Angeles to defeat its rival in merchandising.

Parker’s No. 3 Sparks jersey was the league’s top seller for the second straight year, the WNBA announced Wednesday. It is also the bestselling WNBA jersey in the history of both the NBA store in New York City and WNBA.com.

Before she dislocated her left shoulder on June 13, Parker was averaging 20.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. The Sparks are 1-6 without her.

Retired Sparks forward Lisa Leslie’s No. 9 jersey was the third-most-popular seller on the list, which was based on sales from October 2009 through June 2010.

The Sparks also topped the list of overall merchandise sales, with Phoenix in second.

TOP 5 MOST POPULAR PLAYER JERSEYS:

1. Candace Parker – Los Angeles Sparks

2. Diana Taurasi – Phoenix Mercury

3. Lisa Leslie – Los Angeles Sparks

4. Becky Hammon – San Antonio Silver Stars

5. Janel McCarville – New York Liberty

TOP 5 MOST POPULAR TEAM MERCHANDISE:

1. Los Angeles Sparks

2. Phoenix Mercury

3. San Antonio Silver Stars

4. Seattle Storm

5. New York Liberty

-- Laura Myers