Elena Delle Donne (American professional basketball player) plays for Washington Mystics in the Women's National Basketball Association. From 2009 to 2013, she played college basketball with the Delaware Blue Hens.
4,000 career point
Despite her rookie status, Elena Delle Donne is already a top-level performer in the WNBA. In 2018, she was named Washington Mystics Team Captain. She was also voted 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.
Since her rookie season, Elena Delle Donne has become the franchise centerpiece for the Washington Mystics. Her team has advanced to the playoffs two times in a row. Although she has had to miss some games this year due to rest and personal reasons, she looks like the league MVP when she's on 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 ppg and 6.6 rebounds per match. She also shoots 59.2% as true shots. This is 5.8% higher than the league average.
Three-time All-American
The versatile six-foot-five guard/forward is the 2013 Honda Player of the Year and a two-time First Team All-American. She is ranked fifth all-time by the NCAA in scoring and has won two Academic All-America distinctions. At the World University Games, she won a Gold Medal for Team USA. Delle Donne is a social activist as well as a star basketball player.
An ex-college basketball star holds an inordinate amount of love for organizations that help individuals 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. You can follow Elena on Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
Honda Player of the Year
The Collegiate Women Sports Awards honor the nation's top 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 these awards since 1986. More than $2.5 Million in institutional grants has been awarded to universities nominated and funded by Honda. In addition to Delle Done, previous Honda Cup winners include Brittney Griner, Ann Meyers Drysdale, Lisa Fernandez, and Misty May-Treanor.
Delle Donne is a Delaware native who played college basketball at University of Delaware. She set almost every school record, and she led the Blue Hens in two NCAA Tournament appearances. She is one five female players who have scored over 3,000 points throughout her career. She was twice named Academic All-America. In 2013, she earned a Gold Medal with Team USA at the World University Games. Her remarkable career earned her the title of Honda Player Of The Year.
Delaware Blue Hens are stars
The Delaware Blue Hens' star defender earned All-American distinctions three times throughout her career. She was instrumental in helping the Blue Hens get to the NCAA women’s championship in 2013. Today, she is 11th in scoring. Donne graduated with the College of Education and Human Development and remains the Colonial Athletic Association's leading scorer. This is an impressive endorsement for a college basketball star.
The biggest challenge facing Delaware basketball this season is proving the team's support staff is up to the task. With a star such as Elena Delle Donne sat out the first few weeks, the rest of the team will be forced to prove itself 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.