Meet Chennedy Carter Parents: The Support Behind the WNBA Star

Chennedy Carter's WNBA journey has been anything but straightforward. The 26-year-old guard, drafted 4th overall in 2020, showed flashes of brilliance early in her career, breaking the Atlanta Dream's debut scoring record with 18 points and averaging 17.4 points per game as a rookie. Her explosive scoring ability and fearless drives to the basket made her a player to watch. But Carter's professional path has been marked by interruptions and controversy, including a suspension by Atlanta in 2021, sitting out the entire 2023 season, and making headlines for a flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark during the 2024 season. After not securing a WNBA contract for 2025, she's now taking her talents to Mexico, hoping to rebuild and refocus her career.
Through the ups and downs, Chennedy Carter parents have remained her constant. Her father Broderick was there from the beginning, making her dribble tennis balls on grass to sharpen her ball-handling skills, while her family cheered from the stands during her high school and college days at Texas A&M. Even as her professional career has taken unexpected turns - from promising rookie to controversial figure to overseas player - that family foundation has stayed solid. They've been there through the celebrations and the setbacks, the suspensions and the comebacks, understanding that sometimes the most talented players take the longest roads to find their way. For Carter, that journey is still being written, one game at a time.

Who Are Chennedy Carter's Parents?

Chennedy Carter's roots run deep in Mansfield, Texas, where she grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex with her three brothers - Cameron, Chandler, and Chendall. Chennedy Carter parents, Shonda Perkins and Broderick Carter, separated when she was young, but both remained deeply invested in her life and basketball journey. Chennedy Carter mom, Shonda, an elementary school teacher in the Mansfield ISD, provided the emotional backbone and encouragement that kept Chennedy grounded. Meanwhile, Chennedy Carter dad, Broderick, took on the role of her early basketball coach, famously making her dribble tennis balls on grass to sharpen her ball-handling skills - a drill that would become part of family lore as her career progressed.
The Carter family's support has been unwavering through every chapter of Chennedy's career, from her high school standout days to her college success at Texas A&M and throughout her professional ups and downs. Even as her WNBA journey has taken unexpected turns, including suspensions, controversies, and now playing overseas after not landing a contract for the 2025 season, her parents have remained her pillars of strength. Chennedy often speaks about how her father pushed her to train harder while her mother provided the emotional stability she needed to navigate the pressures of professional basketball. Their belief in her has never wavered, understanding that sometimes the most talented players face the rockiest roads, and that success isn't always measured by where you play but by how you handle the journey.

Who Is Chennedy Carter’s Mom? All About Shonda Perkins

Chennedy Carter Mom, Shonda Perkins, knows what it means to juggle. Between teaching third-graders at Imogene Gideon Elementary School in Mansfield, helping people plan their dream vacations as a travel advisor, and advocating for mental health awareness, her days are full. But ask her what matters most, and she'll tell you without hesitation - being mom to Chennedy and her three boys. When she and Broderick separated years ago, they made a pact to keep their kids' needs first, and somehow they made it work.

Shonda became the steady hand, the one who made sure homework got done and emotions stayed in check, while still cheering loudest from the bleachers when Chennedy dominated on the court. She's watched her daughter light up high school gyms, tear up college basketball at Texas A&M, and navigate the complicated world of professional sports, the highs, the controversies, the setbacks, and now this new chapter playing overseas. Through it all, Shonda has been what every athlete needs: someone who loves them whether they score 30 points or ride the bench, whether they're trending on social media for good reasons or bad ones.

What Does Chennedy Carter’s Mother Do?

Ask Shonda Perkins what her day looks like, and she'll probably laugh. First, there's wrangling twenty-something third-graders at Imogene Gideon Elementary School in Mansfield - wiping noses, teaching fractions, and somehow keeping everyone focused long enough to learn something. Then she switches hats, helping families plan their dream vacations as a travel advisor, because apparently she loves logistics and making people happy. And when she's not doing either of those things, she's speaking out about mental health awareness, because that matters too.

People always want to know her secret for raising Chennedy - like there's some magic formula for producing a kid who can ball like that. The truth is messier and more beautiful: it was years of coffee getting cold while she helped with homework, sitting in bleachers until her back ached, and somehow managing to keep her own dreams alive while nurturing her daughter's. Shonda didn't create a basketball player - she just loved a kid who happened to be really, really good at putting a ball through a hoop.

How Shonda Perkins Shaped Chennedy’s Career?

Shonda Perkins didn't teach Chennedy how to shoot or dribble - that was her dad's department. But what she did was maybe even harder: she showed up. Every single day, in all the ways that mattered. When Chennedy was tearing up high school courts, Shonda was there cheering. When college recruiters came calling, she helped navigate those conversations. When the WNBA draft happened, she was probably crying happy tears. And when things got complicated - the suspensions, the controversies, the setbacks that come with professional sports, Shonda was still there, because that's what moms do.

She balanced her own demanding career teaching third-graders with raising four kids, somehow making it all work on a teacher's salary and a whole lot of love. Did her steady presence and educator's instincts help shape Chennedy's character? Probably. But mostly, Shonda just did what parents do when they believe in their kids: she loved her through the good times and the messy ones, understanding that the path to professional sports is never a straight line, and that sometimes the best thing you can give your child is simply knowing you'll be there no matter what.

Who Is Chennedy Carter’s Dad?

Chennedy Carter dad isn't her typical basketball dad. Broderick's this creative dude who does filmmaking, photography, and writing, but he was also the one who first put a ball in Chennedy's hands and got her obsessed with the game. And this man wasn't playing around with the training; he had her out there dribbling tennis balls in the grass just to mess with her handles and make everything harder.

While other dads are just shooting around in the driveway, Broderick was out here designing these crazy workouts that weren't just about basketball skills but building her mental game, too. That mix of his artistic brain and his no-joke approach to her development? That's what helped mold her into the player she became. Sometimes the best coaches aren't the ones with the fancy credentials - they're just the ones who care enough to push you when it matters.

Broderick Carter’s Background and Job

Broderick Carter's a creative guy who went to Texas Wesleyan University and ended up becoming a writer, filmmaker, and photographer. The man's got this interesting mix of artistic talent and competitive fire that you can totally see in how Chennedy plays. Both of them have that bold, no-nonsense attitude and this drive to stand out, whether it's on the court or behind a camera. You can tell where she gets that fearless personality from; it's like looking at two sides of the same coin, just expressing themselves in different ways.

His Basketball Influence on Chennedy Carter

When it comes to basketball, Broderick was the one who got Chennedy hooked on the game early. This dude wasn't just playing around either; he had her out there dribbling tennis balls in thick grass because he knew if she could handle that, a regular basketball would feel like nothing. His whole approach was about making everything harder in practice so the real games would feel easy. Rain, snow, whatever, they were out there grinding together, working on her skills no matter what the weather looked like. That kind of dedication from both of them is what built the foundation for everything that came after. Sometimes the best training comes from parents who just refuse to let you settle for average and push you to be better than you think you can be.

Chennedy Carter's Family?

Chennedy Carter comes from a tight-knit family in Mansfield, Texas, that's been behind her every step of the way. Her mom, Shonda Perkins, is an elementary school teacher who keeps everyone grounded, while her dad, Broderick, is a creative guy who works as a writer and filmmaker. Chennedy Carter brothers are Cameron, Chandler, and Chendall. She is the only girl in the family- this toughened her up and gave her that competitive edge you see on the court. And here's the cool part: basketball literally runs in the family because her second cousin is Jia Perkins, who was a straight-up WNBA All-Star back in the day. Having that mix of family support, sibling rivalry, and someone in the family who actually made it to the top level of women's basketball? That's the kind of environment that breeds champions.

How Chennedy Carter’s Parents Supported Her Growing Up?

Chennedy Carter parents were the perfect tag team when it came to raising her. Her mom, Shonda, being a teacher herself, wasn't playing around when it came to academics - she made sure Chennedy stayed on top of her schoolwork and kept her priorities straight. Meanwhile, her dad, Broderick, was out there creating these crazy training drills to push her basketball skills to the next level, teaching her discipline and work ethic from day one. Throughout high school and college, they were right there in the stands cheering her on, helping her navigate the big decisions, and picking her up when things got tough. Chennedy Carter siblings have also been super supportive of her basketball career. Having parents who genuinely believed in her talent and weren't afraid to push her when she needed it. That's what gave Chennedy the confidence to keep grinding, even when the road got bumpy.

What Chennedy Carter Says About Her Parents in Interviews

Chennedy Carter often credits her parents for shaping her into the player and person she is today. In interviews, she fondly recalls her father's dedication to her early basketball training, saying, “My dad trained me since I was six years old—rain, sleet, snow, hot summer, humidity, it didn’t matter.” He pushed her through tough drills, including dribbling tennis balls in the dark and on the grass to sharpen her ball-handling skills. Her mother, Shonda Perkins, offered emotional grounding and motivation. Carter has shared, “My mom always reminded me that hard work pays off. She’s been my biggest supporter through it all.” Growing up with three older brothers also made her mentally tough. “It was just me and three brothers. If they could do something, I wanted to prove I could too,” Carter said. Chennedy Carter Family is super important to her, calling them “my foundation.”