Two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne has retired from basketball, saying in an Instagram post that her body "seemed to make this decision before my mind accepted it."
Delle Donne won a WNBA title with the Washington Mystics in 2019 but was hampered by multiple back surgeries and did not play in the league in 2024.
"One of my favorite children's books asked, 'How did it get so late so soon?'" Delle Donne wrote in her post. "I have asked myself that over and over again in the process of coming to the decision to retire from playing basketball. Being able to say that out loud was one of the hardest parts of my career. My body seemed to make this decision before my mind accepted it but I now truly know this is the right thing for me at the right time."
Delle Donne was drafted No. 2 overall by the Chicago Sky in 2013 and pushed for a trade to the Mystics after the 2016 season. She won the 2019 title with Washington while playing with three herniated disks. That year, she had the only 50-40-90 season in league history when she shot 51.5% from the field, 43% from behind the 3-point line and 97.4% from the foul line.
"She put us over the top," former Mystics coach Mike Thibault told The Associated Press. "We were trying to build to where we could have a team that somebody like her would want to play with and we could win the championship that she was seeking and that we were seeking."
But Delle Donne didn't play in the 2020 season in the COVID-19 bubble in Bradenton, Florida, and was limited to three games by back issues in 2021 before playing 25 games in 2022 and 23 in 2023.
She missed the 2024 season after deciding not to sign a one-year supermax offer from the Mystics.
Thibault recounted the many hours Delle Donne spent in the gym trying to maintain her body while dealing with an assortment of injuries and illness such as Lyme disease.
"After her back surgeries, she had a lot of days in the arena that started at 6 a.m., and when other players were done, she was still doing another treatment or massage or whatever it would take to be able to play," Thibault said.
Delle Donne, 35, won the WNBA MVP award in 2015 and 2019, becoming the first player to receive the honor with two different teams. She was a seven-time All-Star and a four-time All-WNBA first-team selection over her 11 seasons.
"Words cannot adequately express how thankful I am to my family, all of my incredible teammates, friends, executives, sponsors, staff and most importantly the amazing fans that have accompanied me on this journey," Delle Donne wrote. "This game has been my life, and I am grateful for the memories and how much it's given me. It feels good to close this chapter knowing I gave it my all and I can't wait for what's next!"
Delle Donne, who also won an Olympic gold medal with USA Basketball in 2016, averaged 19.5 points and 6.7 rebounds in 241 regular-season games. She played in 40 postseason games, where she averaged 17.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists. She retires as the league's career leader in free throw shooting at 93.7%.
Delle Donne came onto the scene in high school as one of the most sought after recruits in the country. She originally committed to UConn before deciding at the last minute to come home to Delaware to be closer to her sister. After she stepped away from basketball to play volleyball her first year at the school, she missed the sport too much and came back to play hoops.
She helped Delaware reach unprecedented heights in her time there, carrying the Blue Hens to their first Sweet 16 and finishing with more than 3,000 points in her career.
Delle Donne will serve as a special adviser to Monumental Basketball, part of the company that owns the Mystics and Wizards.
"We'll miss her on the court," Monumental Sports & Entertainment chairman and CEO Ted Leonsis said in a statement. "But we're glad she'll still be with us, shaping the next chapter for Monumental Basketball and all we're building. Elena's impact has been immeasurable, and we're eager to see how she'll keep pushing the game, just in a different way."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.