Two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne is retiring from basketball, according to a post on Instagram.
Another WNBA legend is calling it a career.
Two-time league MVP Elena Delle Donne announced on Friday that she is retiring from basketball, saying "my body seemed to make this decision before my mind accepted it" in an Instagram post.
"One of my favorite children's books asked, 'How did it get so late so soon?'" Delle Donne, 35, wrote. "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."
Watch NBC 4 free wherever you are
WATCH HEREDrafted second overall out of the University of Delaware in 2013, Delle Donne began her career with the Chicago Sky. She immediately went on to earn WNBA Rookie of the Year honors and ascended to league MVP in her third season.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox with NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP After spending four years in Chicago, Delle Donne was dealt to the Washington Mystics in January 2017. She was named a WNBA All-Star in each of her first three seasons in the nation's capital, and she reached the mountaintop in 2019 by capping off her second MVP season with her first championship, a 3-2 WNBA Finals triumph over the Connecticut Sun.
Delle Donne opted not to play in the 2020 "Wubble" season during the COVID-19 pandemic. Injuries limited her in the ensuing years, as she played just three games in 2021, 25 in 2022 and 23 in 2023. She did not play in 2024 after deciding not to sign a one-year supermax contract with the Mystics.
WNBA
In all, Delle Donne closes out her career as a two-time WNBA MVP, 2019 WNBA champion, seven-time WNBA All-Star, four-time all-WNBA first-team selection and 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year across 10 seasons. Additionally, she earned a gold medal with Team USA at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
"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," she 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 is the second WNBA legend to retire in the last month. Diana Taurasi, the WNBA's all-time leading scorer, announced her retirement on March 13.
