Two-time NCAA champ Candace Parker is aiming high as she enters her first season with the L.A. Sparks. Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images

But talking to Parker reminds you that she's just an intelligent, well-spoken woman who just celebrated her 22nd birthday... who just so happens to be 6-4 and one of the best basketball players in the world.

WNBA.com caught up with Parker during the WNBA's Rookie Orientation this weekend in Chicago where she was happy to discuss her shoulder injury, her hopes for Beijing and her goals for the 2008 season in L.A.

WNBA.com: You were taken first overall by the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA Draft just a day after you led Tennessee to a second straight National Championship. You mentioned that you were a little overwhelmed at that moment. Have things calmed down a bit? What has the transition been like from college player to pro player over the last week and a half?

CP: "It's all kind of running together at this point. When two of the biggest things to happen in your life happen back to back like that, it's hard to handle. Of course, I wouldn't want to change a thing about it! But we won the tournament, went straight into the WNBA Draft… and I just feel blessed to be in the position I'm in right now. I've been moving around a lot lately, but I'll be settled in L.A. soon. I'm looking forward to that."

WNBA.com: What do you think about the media buzz surrounding you of late? Has it been as constant as it appears? And what do you think about this idea of you as being not only the top pick in the draft, but as one of the new faces of the league?

CP: "Honestly, I haven't had a chance yet to really take it in. I don't pay a lot of attention to what people think or what they expect. I feel like I'm my biggest critic and I set my own expectations. So I try not to pay attention to all of the outside stuff. I'm just really excited to be in the WNBA and to be finally living my dream."

WNBA.com: You spent some time with your new coach, Michael Cooper, at the draft. What's your impression of Coach Coop so far?

CP: "I think Coop is a great guy. He seems very laid back and I think he genuinely loves what he does. And the other players on the Sparks have had nothing but positive things to say about him as a coach. And I'm not just saying that. I'm really looking forward to playing with him.

"And I'm also a big fan of the NBA and I know what he did during his career with the Lakers, so I'm just looking forward to learning from him. He's done a great job with the Sparks and I think he'll be a great coach."

WNBA.com: Will it be strange going from Coach Summitt at Tennessee to Coop in L.A.?

CP: "I don't know! I've talked to Sidney Spencer and Tye Fluker, who have also played for both, and they say they're different, obviously. I'm anxious to experience it for myself."

WNBA.com: What will it be like to get back out on the court with fellow former Lady Vols like Sidney and Tye and Shannon Bobbitt?

CP: "It's gonna be a great experience. It's like we just moved Tennessee to the West Coast. And there is a lot of our SEC competition there, too, with Temeka Johnson (LSU) and Marie Ferdinand (LSU) and the girls from Georgia (Sherill Baker, Christi Thomas and Kiesha Brown). So I think it's gonna be a great opportunity to play with some familiar faces. I'm excited for my teammate Shannon to be coming along with me and I think it will help us all mesh together pretty quickly."

WNBA.com: Let's talk about the Olympics this summer in Beijing. You didn't go on this current national team trip to China, but you've been in the USA roster mix to this point. Are you thinking yet about having to make a case to be on the team?

CP: "It's been a dream of mine to play in the Olympics and to have the opportunity to represent my country. I'm still in the pool of names and I would have made this trip to China if it were in any way possible, but it was better for my body to rest my shoulder before the WNBA season. I'm really looking forward to having an opportunity to play my way onto the team."

WNBA.com: How is your shoulder doing? You played remarkably well in the Final Four despite the pain, but I'm sure it wasn't as easy as it looked. Are you rehabbing at this point? Are you still in pain? And are you expecting to be totally ready by the start of the regular season?

CP: "I am rehabbing, yes. I had some treatment back in Tennessee and now I'm taking some time to rest and fully heal before the pounding begins again. With the WNBA season coming in the late spring and summer, it's like two seasons back to back. So I need to get as much rest as I can."

WNBA.com: A lot of people around the league -- including your coach -- are saying that with you coming to L.A., with Lisa Leslie coming back and with the other talent around you, the Sparks have to be considered one of the favorites to win it all. Do you feel pressure to come in and win during your rookie season?

CP: "I like Coach Cooper's confidence! And personally, I feel blessed to go into this kind of situation with so many terrific players already in place. I feel that there's nowhere we can go but up. I'm just excited to be a part of it and to learn everything I can.

"I think we'll have to have some swagger and some confidence to play and succeed in the WNBA. There are a lot of great teams in this league between Detroit in the East and the stacked Western Conference with Seattle, Sacramento and Phoenix… We have our work cut out for us, but yeah, I do think we'll be a force to be reckoned with."

WNBA.com: How about you personally? What do you expect your role to be in the coming season?

CP: "I haven't really talked to Coop about my role yet, though I'm sure I will in the next few days. But I haven't changed my game since high school. I'm just gonna go into this new situation and play as hard as I can and do what the team needs me to do."

WNBA.com: What are your goals for 2008, both personally and in terms of the Sparks as a whole?

CP: "We want to win. But I don't have any of those personal goals. A successful season to me involves being a good teammate and winning. There are players on this team who have been in this league for a long time and who have accomplished a lot in their careers -- Lisa Leslie and Taj McWilliams-Franklin, in particular. And I'm just excited to learn some tricks of the trade from them."