This offseason commenced with Elena Delle Donne being a restricted free agent. Delle Donne was a guest on the Locked On Women’s Basketball Podcast with Vice Sports’ Howard Megdal and said she’d soon reach a decision on where she would want to play next season—and would sit out to make it happen.
Wherever I may end up, I will be ready and very excited about the future and continuing to grow this game.
Such an announcement—and the corresponding speculation sent shockwaves through the WNBA. Delle Donne is one of the faces of the WNBA and would certainly be a draw wherever she goes. Already in her short, but notable career, she has won an MVP award, been an All-Star participant on several different occasions, and has won an Olympic gold medal.
The team’s owner, Michael Alter described it as a “strong possibility” the team will look to trade Delle Donne in a recent interview with Vice Sports.
Given her strong ties to the state of Delaware, one may wonder if she would want to return to The First State. The Washington Mystics are the closest team, geographically, to Delaware.
They’ve got a ton of potential, and a lot of young talent—and I’ve always had a great relationship with Coach Thibault. So, I think he does a great job with the team and he always is adding pieces to the puzzle, and he’s a coach that wins and I think he’s going to get that team heading in the right direction.
–Elena Delle Donne
The news came at a time of change for the Sky as the team recently hired Amber Stocks to serve as its new head coach with Pokey Chatman leaving to take the job with the Fever.
By: Akiem Bailum (@AkiemBailum on Twitter, Instagram)
