WNBA star Elena Delle Donne is taking a break from basketball, ESPN reported, foregoing the Washington Mystics’ offer of a one-year contract worth $242,000.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said the 33-year-old, a seven-time All-Star, is opting to step away from sports entirely. Delle Donne has not said whether she plans to return to the WNBA and what factors caused her decision.
The Delaware native led the Mystics to a WNBA title in 2019, scoring 19.5 points per game. She was also named WNBA MVP that season.
Delle Donne has struggled with injuries since. In the last four seasons, she has appeared in 51 of the Mystics’ 130 regular season games. The two-time MVP has undergone several back surgeries after multiple herniated discs.
She averaged 16.7 points and 5.4 rebounds in 23 games last season.
This offseason, the Mystics designated the former scoring champion as a core player. Under WNBA rules, teams can choose one woman as a core player. The core designation guaranteed Delle Donne the WNBA’s maximum salary of $241,984. Core players are then offered a one-year “supermax” contract.
Washington chose to offer the supermax to Delle Donne instead of teammate Natasha Cloud, who left in free agency.
“You allowed me to grow, to find myself as a person, a player, and an activist. Through the ups and downs your love for me never wavered nor did mine for you,” Cloud wrote in a letter to fans. “They could never take away the legacy we built together. Y’all will always be my family.”
With the departure of Cloud and absence of Delle Donne, the future is murky for the Mystics.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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