One of the best pure talents the WNBA has ever seen has decided to walk away from the game. Two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne is hanging up her sneakers. Delle Donne announced her retirement Friday in a social media post, calling it, “the right thing for me at the right time.”
In her retirement post, Delle Donne, 35, called leaving the game “one of the hardest parts of my career.” She went on to say that her body made the decision before her mind was able to accept it.
Delle Donne leaves the game with a laundry list of accolades. She never hit the rookie wall, excelling at the highest level in the WNBA immediately, taking home Rookie of the Year honors in 2013 after being drafted No. 2 overall out of Delaware by the Chicago Sky. Delle Donne made the All-Star team in each of her first three seasons, winning her first MVP in 2015.
Before the start of the 2017 season, Delle Donne was traded to the Washington Mystics. She turned in a similarly dominant stretch in Washington, making the All-Star team in each of her first three seasons. She won her second WNBA MVP in 2019 and followed that up by winning the WNBA championship with the Mystics.
During the 2019 WNBA Finals, Delle Donne suffered a debilitating back injury. She underwent two surgeries on her back in 2020 and sat out the COVID-19 shortened WNBA season that year. She played in just three games in 2021 due to lingering back issues.
Delle Donne returned to the Mystics in 2022 and showed no signs of slowing down. She averaged 17.2 points and 6.3 rebounds. That performance earned Delle Donne MVP consideration. She put up similar stats in 2023, earning her seventh, and final, All-Star nod.
Delle Donne was expected to be an unrestricted free agent that offseason but informed the Mystics she could not commit to playing in 2024. The Mystics placed a core designation on her, ensuring she would remain with the team if she decided to keep playing. Delle Donne was offered a one-year, supermax contract from Washington, but decided to take time away from basketball. She did not play during the 2024 WNBA season.
After being away from the game for a year, Delle Donne chose to call it a career Friday. She leaves the game as one of its most decorated and accomplished players. Delle Donne was a two-time MVP winner, was named a WNBA All-Pro five times and made the All-Star team seven times. She led the Mystics to a WNBA championship and was named to the W25 team, a celebration of the top 25 WNBA players of all time, in 2021.
“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 wrote. “This game has been my life, and I am grateful for the memories and how much it’s given me. It feels good to close this chapter knowing I gave it my all and I can’t wait for what’s next!”
She will still have a place in the place in the game she loves and will serve as a special advisor to Monumental Basketball, part of the company that owns the Mystics and Wizards.
“We’ll miss her on the court. But we’re glad she’ll still be with us, shaping the next chapter for Monumental Basketball and all we’re building,” Monumental Sports & Entertainment chairman and CEO Ted Leonsis said in a statement. “Elena’s impact has been immeasurable, and we’re eager to see how she’ll keep pushing the game, just in a different way.”
