Elena Delle Donne, a star in Chicago and Washington, helped make the WNBA what it is today
(The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Elena Delle Donne officially retired from the game of basketball on Friday.
In an Instagram post, she said, 'One of my favorite children's books asked, 'How did it get so late so soon?' I have asked myself that over and over again in the process of coming to the decision to retire from playing basketball. Being able to say that out loud was one of the hardest parts of my career. My body seemed to make this decision before my mind accepted it but I now truly know this is the right thing for me at the right time.'
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If you're newer to women's basketball, you likely didn't witness just how good Elena Delle Donne was before injuries robbed her of the ability to play at an MVP level again. So let's take a trip down memory lane.
The Chicago Sky drafted Delle Donne with the second overall pick in 2013, joining a team that already had a ton of firepower. Sylvia Fowles was a defensive star. Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley made up the backcourt, and while Swin Cash was in the later years of her career, she still provided meaningful minutes. Delle Donne was the last piece of the puzzle.
That team went 24-10. Delle Donne won Rookie of the Year, while Fowles was named Defensive Player of the Year. Though the Tamika Catchings-led Fever swept the Sky out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Chicago, coached by Pokey Chatman, showed promise. For the next few years, the Sky were at the top of the league, and Delle Donne was a huge reason why. Chicago made it to the WNBA Finals in 2014 before losing to the Phoenix Mercury. In 2015, Delle Donne averaged 23.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and two blocks per game. She was named the MVP, but the Sky lost to the Fever again in the Eastern Conference semis.
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Delle Donne had become a beloved part of the Chicago sports scene. She lived near Wrigley Field, and even named her Great Dane after the Cubs' home field.
But in 2016, the Sky started to hit the skids. While Delle Donne was part of the U.S. national team that won gold at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, the Sky team went 18-16, then lost in the playoffs in the semifinals to the Los Angeles Sparks. Chatman was let go at the end of the season, and the overhaul was just beginning.
In 2014, Fowles asked to be traded from Chicago, and she was not the first or last star to want to leave the organization. In 2016, Delle Donne followed Fowles' lead and asked for a trade. (Marina Mabrey followed suit in 2024). The team acquiesced and engineered a trade for Delle Donne to go to Washington, which was much closer to her family in Delaware. In return, Chicago acquired Stefanie Dolson and Kahleah Copper, two players who were crucial to the Sky's championship in 2021.
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"Ever since I realized this deal was going to happen, I think I've had a smile on my face ever since," Delle Donne said at the time . "I really think that Washington just meets all of my personal and professional wishes."
Delle Donne found her home with the Mystics. She played well and stayed mostly healthy, despite dealing with injuries and chronic symptoms of Lyme Disease, which she was diagnosed with in college. In 2019, she put together a season that few in the WNBA could have predicted.
That year, Delle Donne became the first WNBA player of the 50-40-90 club: she shot 51.5 from the field, 43 percent from the 3-point line and 97.4 from the free throw line. This accolade put her in the company of Larry Bird, Steve Nash and Stephen Curry. She only missed three free throws all season, and was named the league's MVP for the second time.
Her efficiency powered the Mystics to a 26-8 regular-season record. In the playoffs, they beat the Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals, and then outlasted the Connecticut Sun in a thrilling Finals matchup. She played through serious back spasms throughout. At the end, she got to lift her first and only WNBA championship trophy.
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Unfortunately, that version of Delle Donne never made it back to the WNBA court. Citing Lyme disease, she opted out of the 2020 season that took place in a Florida bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic. The injuries she played through for so much of her career had finally taken their toll. She played just three games in 2021, and didn't play another full season again, stepping away from the game after the 2023 season.
But the ending should not define her career. Delle Donne's complete and efficient game elevated two WNBA franchises, and her play was a foundational pillar of the league that exists today.
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