Chicago Sky forward Elena Delle Donne has won the WNBA rookie of the year, said a person familiar with the situation.
Delle Donne will receive the award Friday night in Chicago before the Sky play the Indiana Fever in the opener of their Eastern Conference playoff series, the person said. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no official announcement has been made.
Delle Donne averaged 18.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and shot 93 percent from the free throw line to help Chicago make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The Sky earned the top seed in the East.
She finished third in the league’s MVP balloting behind Candace Parker and Maya Moore. She’s only the second rookie to finish that high in the voting in the last decade. Parker won the MVP in 2008 as a rookie.
“She’s a talented player. It’s amazing what she can do at 6-5,” Parker said. “I’ve been watching her since she was in eighth grade. We recruited her at Tennessee extremely hard.”
Delle Donne was the league’s top vote-getter for the All-Star game in July marking the first time a rookie held that distinction. She wasn’t able to play because of a concussion she suffered a few days before the game.
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AP Sports Writer Beth Harris in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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