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Trade sends Delle Donne to Washington D.C.

Delaware Public Media

It’s official.  Elena Delle Donne’s local fans will have an easier time seeing the homegrown hoop star play in WNBA starting this season.

A trade sending the University of Delaware alum and 2015 WNBA MVP from the Chicago Sky to the Washington Mystics is a done deal.

Delle Donne had said she wanted to play closer to home.  But he was a restricted free agent – which meant Chicago had the right to match any offer to the 2016 Olympic gold medalist.  Under this deal, Delle Donne signed a new contract with the Sky before being traded to Washington.  The Mystics send two players and the number two pick in this year’s WNBA draft to Chicago for he Wilmington native and Ursuline Academy product.

Delle Donne has averaged nearly 21 points and 7 rebounds in four pro seasons.  That’s despite missing time with several injuries and dealing with Lyme Disease.

She missed the final 10 games of 2016 season with a thumb injury that required surgery.  A recent stint playing in China was cut short when she returned home for Lyme Disease treatment.

The move to Washington D.C. means Delle Donne will be just 2 hours away from her First State home – a priority for Delle Donne in part to be closer to her sister Lizzie, who blind, deaf, and has cerebral palsy.

Tom Byrne has been a fixture covering news in Delaware for three decades. He joined Delaware Public Media in 2010 as our first news director and has guided the news team ever since. When he's not covering the news, he can be found reading history or pursuing his love of all things athletic.
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