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Elena Delle Donne reflects on her basketball journey before Hall of Fame induction

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 14, 2026, 10:09 PM

Last updated Aug 14, 2026

Elena Delle Donne reflects on her basketball journey before Hall of Fame induction

Summary

Elena Delle Donne, set to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, shared her early struggles with basketball, including quitting before her freshman year in college. Burned out and wanting to reconnect with family, she rediscovered her passion for the sport after a year away. Delle Donne then excelled at Delaware, scoring over 3,000 points before being drafted No. 2 by Chicago in 2013. Her journey included two WNBA MVPs and a championship win with the Mystics in 2019, but injuries ultimately led to her retirement in 2023.

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By the Numbers

•Elena Delle Donne quit basketball to focus on her identity outside of sports.
•She later returned, scoring over 3,000 points at Delaware.
•Delle Donne was drafted No. 2 by Chicago in 2013.
•She won two WNBA MVP awards and a championship with Mystics.
•Injuries led to her retirement in 2023.

Latest Updates

10:09 PMYahoo Sports — Elena Delle Donne quit basketball before her freshman year in college. She ended up a Hall of Famer

What they're saying

"
Elena Delle Donne swore she would never pick up a basketball again after quitting the sport before her freshman year of college. “I just needed to step away and find who Elena was outside of the game and realize, you know, I can have other passions and all these other things, and not everything is on a win or a loss in the game of basketball,” Delle Donne said. Home has always been the center of Delle Donne's world.
— Yahoo Sportsby DOUG FEINBERG

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