Elena Delle Donne is an American professional player in basketball who plays for Washington Mystics of Women's National Basketball Association. From 2009 to 2013, she played college basketball with the Delaware Blue Hens.
Earn 4,000 career points
Despite only being a rookie, Elena Delle Donne already has a lot of success in the WNBA. In the 2018-19 season, she was named Washington Mystics' Team Captain. She was also voted Team Captain for the WNBA's All-Star Game. Last season, she was named Team Captain and reached 4,000 career points against the Atlanta Dream.
Elena Delle Donne has been the franchise center for the Washington Mystics since her rookie season. Her team has made deep playoff runs in the two previous seasons she has led. While she missed time this season for personal reasons, rest, and other things, she is a league MVP when she is on the court. Efficiency, especially true shooting percentage, is a major indicator of a player's effectiveness per possession. Elena Delle Donne averages 17.9 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game. She also shoots 59.2% as true shots. This is 5.8% higher than the league average.
Three-time All-American
The versatile guard/forward at six feet five is the Honda Player-of-the-Year for 2013. She was also a two-time First Team All-American. She ranks fifth all-time in the NCAA in scoring, and has won two Academic All-America honors. At the World University Games, she received a Gold Medal as Team USA. Delle Donne is not only a great basketball player, but she is also a social activist.
The former college basketball star has a special spot in her heart to support organizations working with individuals with intellectual impairments. She has also volunteered while living in Delaware and at the University of Delaware. Additionally, she is active in social media and documents her family life as well as her love and devotion to her two sons. Follow Elena on Twitter.
Honda Player of Year
The Collegiate Women Sports Awards are given to the nation's best women athletes. Awards recipients are often recognized not only for their athletic excellence but also for their leadership skills, academic excellence, or commitment to community service. Honda has sponsored these awards since 1986. More than $2.5 Million in institutional grants has been awarded to universities nominated and funded by Honda. The Honda Cup has been won by Brittney Griner as well as Ann Meyers Drysdale (previous winners), Lisa Fernandez (previous winner), and Misty Maytreanor (previous winners).
Delle Donne is a Delaware native who played college basketball at University of Delaware. She broke virtually every school record and led the Blue Hens to two NCAA Tournament appearances. She is among only five female athletes to have scored more that 3,000 points over her career. In 2013, she earned a Gold Medal with Team USA at the World University Games. She has been named Honda Player of Year for her outstanding career.
Delaware Blue Hens have won the Star Award
The Delaware Blue Hens' star defender earned All-American distinctions three times throughout her career. She helped the Blue Hens advance to the NCAA women's tournament in 2013, and she now sits 11th all-time in scoring. Donne graduated from the College of Education and Human Development and is the all-time leading scorer in the Colonial Athletic Association. This is a huge endorsement for the college basketball player.
Delaware basketball's biggest challenge will be proving its support staff can do the job. Elena Delle Donne is a star and the rest of the team will need to prove their abilities in the second half. There are many lines for the team, especially in the first act where the star player will be out with Lyme disease.