Elena Delle Donne, two-time WNBA MVP, named first managing director of USA women’s 3-on-3 basketball

Elena Delle Donne is taking on a new role with USA Basketball, this time off the court. The two-time WNBA MVP and 2016 Olympic gold medalist was introduced Monday as the first managing director of the USA Basketball Women’s 3-on-3 national team. Her appointment was unanimously approved by the organization’s board of directors.

Delle Donne will be responsible for selecting coaches and players for international competitions through 2028, including the Los Angeles Olympic Games, the FIBA 3-on-3 World Cup and the FIBA 3-on-3 AmeriCup. She will also oversee rosters for the pro circuit and training camps.

“USA Basketball was an important part of my on-court career for a decade and a half. To have the opportunity to continue my journey with the organization, and to help shape and grow the 3-on-3 program, is something that I take very seriously,” Delle Donne said in a release. “Thank you to USA Basketball for trusting me with this role. I’m excited to get started.”

The 3-on-3 game, which debuted in the Olympics in Tokyo, has quickly become a major focus for USA Basketball. The U.S. women won gold in 2021 but settled for bronze at the Paris Games last summer. Unlike the traditional 5-on-5 format, Olympic qualification in 3-on-3 requires players to earn points at sanctioned events, making roster construction more complex.

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Delle Donne has been involved with USA Basketball since 2011, first earning a gold medal at the World University Games while at the University of Delaware. She later helped the senior national team capture gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2018 FIBA World Cup.

Her professional career spanned a decade in the WNBA, where she was a seven-time All-Star, two-time MVP and led the Washington Mystics to their first championship in 2019. She announced her retirement in April 2025 and currently serves as a special advisor to Monumental Basketball, the parent company of the Mystics.

USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley praised Delle Donne’s appointment, noting her long-standing connection to the organization and success at both international and professional levels. 

“Elena brings an impressive basketball pedigree to this role,” Tooley said. “Elena has been a member of the USA Basketball family for almost 15 years. Her wealth of knowledge of the sport of basketball and our organization will be an asset as we continue our journey to the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028.”  

USA Basketball Chairman Martin E. Dempsey highlighted her addition to a growing group of managing directors — which includes Sue Bird for the women’s 5-on-5 team, Jimmer Fredette for men’s 3-on-3 and Grant Hill for men’s 5-on-5 — all aimed at preparing U.S. teams for the 2028 Olympics.

Delle Donne’s first assignment in her new role will be assembling a roster and selecting a coaching staff for the FIBA AmeriCup, scheduled around Thanksgiving.