Elena Delle Donne Wins WNBA Rookie Of The Year Honors
Chicago Sky star Elena Delle Donne has taken home the WNBA rookie player of the year award.
The Windy City team finished first in the East and will next take on the Indiana Fever in Game 1 of the WNBA Conference semifinals tonight.
Donne, the tallest WNBA player in league history, scored 39 first place votes and was presented with the WNBA trophy by league president Laurel J. Ritchie.
Richie told a crowd of spectators:
“I had the pleasure of watching Elena Delle Donne compete in her first WNBA game…and in my very, very humble estimation it seemed to have taken her maybe 10 minutes to make the transition from the college game to the professional game.”
The 6-foot-5 Amazon immediately impressed with 18.1 points per game. She also managed 5.6 rebounds and hit 93 percent of her shots from the free throw line. Her performance helped Chicago make their first playoffs in franchise history.
Elena Delle Donne has overcome a lot to make her way into the WNBA. During her early college years the star rookie suffered emotional problems after being separated from her family. Her separation problems were focused mostly around her sister Lizzie who is deaf, blinds, and has cerebral palsy.
Eventually the WNBA’s biggest new star managed to get her personal life under control and her performance ceiling jumped through the roof.
Here’s an interview with Delle Donne explaining her personal life:
When asked why she talks so much about her teammates Elena Delle Done proclaimed:
“Truthfully, I talk about them because the individual accolades and the individual success doesn’t come without them…’They’ve helped me rise to the occasion game after game, practice after practice…I owe them a ton.”
She leaves us with the following battle cry:
Big thank you to everyone for all of the support! Now it’s time to get the playoffs started! #skyhigh
— Elena Delle Donne (@De11eDonne) September 20, 2013
Do you think the young WNBA star deserves her rookie of the year accolades?
