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The end of the line has come for one of the great WNBA players of the 2010s.
Former Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics star Elena Delle Donne is retiring from basketball, she announced on Instagram Thursday morning. Delle Donne, 35, last played for the Mystics in ’23.
“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,” Delle Donne wrote. “Words cannot adequately express how thankful I am to my family, all of my incredible teammates, friends, executives, sponsors, staff and most importantly the amazing fans that have accompanied me on this journey.”
Delle Donne played collegiately for Delaware, which she transformed into one of the nation’s most formidable mid-majors as a three-time All-American. The Sky drafted the Wilmington native with the No. 2 pick in the 2013 draft.
She made an immediate impact with Chicago, being named the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2013 and MVP in 2015. In Feb. 2017, the Sky traded her to the Mystics.
The 2019 season saw Delle Donne put it all together and win the league’s MVP award for the second time while leading Washington to what remains its only WNBA title. She is that franchise’s all-time leading scorer on a per-game basis.
The future Hall of Famer retires as the league’s all-time leader in free-throw percentage, turnover percentage, and offensive rating. She also won FIBA gold medals in the Olympics, World Cup and World University Games.
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