Elena Delle Donne, a seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time league MVP, has announced her retirement after playing 10 seasons in the WNBA.
Delle Donne took to social media to announce her decision to retire from basketball, explaining that her body has ultimately made the choice for her. She referenced one of her favorite children’s books, ‘The Cat in the Hat’ by Dr. Seuss, and its poignant line, ‘How did it get so late so soon?’, to express her surprise at how quickly her career had proceeded to this point.
‘Being able to say that out loud was one of the hardest parts of my career. 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 said on social media.
Dell Donne will continue to be involved in basketball as a special advisor to Monumental Basketball, which owns the Washington Mystics and Washington Wizards.
Elena Delle Donne’s WNBA career
Delle Donne was selected as the second overall pick in the 2013 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky. She was named the 2013 Rookie of the Year and won the WNBA MVP award in 2016. After spending four years in Chicago, she was traded to the Mystics following the 2016 season. While with the Mystics, she won the WNBA Championship in 2019 and earned her second MVP award in the same year.
After a series of injuries, including missing the 2020 season in the Covid-19 bubble, she missed the 2024 season after opting out and deciding not to sign a one-year supermax offer from the Mystics.
For her career, Delle Donne averaged 19.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.