Elena Delle Donne, an American professional basketball player, plays for the Washington Mystics (Women's National Basketball Association). She played college basketball for the Delaware Blue Hens from 2009 to 2013.
4,050 career points
Despite her rookie status, Elena Delle Donne is already a top-level performer in the WNBA. She was named Team Captain for the Washington Mystics during the 2018-19 season. She also made the All-Star Game and was voted as Team Captain of the WNBA's All-Star Game. She was also named Team MVP last season and reached the 4,000-point mark in career against the Atlanta Dream.
Elena Delle Donne is the franchise's centerpiece since her rookie year. Her team has advanced to the playoffs two times in a row. While she missed time this season for personal reasons, rest, and other things, she is a league MVP when she is on the court. Shooting percentage is a great indicator of a player’s effectiveness per possession. Efficiency, in particular, is a sign of efficiency. Elena Delle Donne averages 17.9 and 6.6 points per game. In addition, she shoots 59.2% of her shots as true shots. This is 5.8% higher than the league average.
Three-time All-American
The versatile, six-foot-five guard/forward is named the Honda Player-of-the-Year in 2013 and is a two-time First Team All-American. She is fifth in NCAA scoring and has been awarded two Academic All-America awards. She won a Gold Medal with Team USA at the World University Games. In addition to her stellar basketball career, Delle Donne is also a social activist.
Former college basketball star, she holds a special place within her heart for those who support people with intellectual disabilities. 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 The Year
The Collegiate Women Sports Awards are given to the nation's best women athletes. The award recipients are not only recognized for their athletic accomplishments, but also for their leadership skills and academic excellence. Honda has sponsored the awards since 1986 and has awarded more than $2.5 million in institutional grants to universities nominated by award winners. Along with Delle Done the Honda Cup winner are Brittney Griner (Ann Meyers Drysdale), Lisa Fernandez and Misty May–Treanor.
Delle Dane, a Delaware native, played college basketball at the University of Delaware. She broke virtually every school record and led the Blue Hens to two NCAA Tournament appearances. She is one of only five female players to score over 3,000 points in her career, and was twice named Academic All-America. In 2013, she was awarded the Gold Medal with Team USA at World University Games. She has been named Honda Player of Year for her outstanding career.
Delaware Blue Hens are stars
Three times, the Delaware Blue Hens' star defense earned All-American honors. She helped the Blue Hens advance to the NCAA women's tournament in 2013, and she now sits 11th all-time in scoring. Donne is a Colonial Athletic Association all-time leader in scoring, having graduated from the College of Education and Human Development. This is a huge endorsement for the college basketball player.
The biggest challenge facing Delaware basketball this season is proving the team's support staff is up to the task. Elena Delle Donne is a star and the rest of the team will need to prove their abilities in the second half. The team has several lines to fill, particularly in the first act, as the star will be sidelined due to Lyme disease.