Elena Delle Donne is one of the best players in the WNBA today. The 2015 MVP has appeared in 105 games over her four year career, averaging 20.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.4 threes per game. Delle Donne is a weapon on both offense and defense and one of the elite players in the WNBA.
While she may be a star, Delle Donne wasn’t happy with her situation in Chicago and has been requesting a trade. On Monday she got her wish.
The Sky reportedly received Stefanie Dolson, Kahleah Cooper and the second overall pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft for their star player.
Dolson has been in the WNBA for the past three seasons, appearing in 102 games. She has averaged 8.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. She was voted to the 2015 All Star Game.
Cooper was the seventh overall pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft. She appeared in 30 games her rookie season, averaging 6.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting .467 from three.
The second overall pick is incredibly valuable for the Sky. The player drafted likely won’t have as an immediate impact as Delle Donne, but she could turn into the next star in Chicago. Currently Draftsite has South Carolina center Alaina Coates going #2.
Coates has averaged 13.7 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game this season.
Overall, the Sky is receiving a massive haul for Delle Donne. Getting two top 10 picks and an All Star is a trade rarely seen in any sport. This deal is one of the biggest in WNBA history.
The Sky did well to realize Delle Donne’s value and capitalize in the trade market. It’ll be interesting to see how Chicago fairs after losing their best player. Delle Donne is an absolute stud, but the players the Sky brought in could end up being just as good collectively.
As for Delle Donne, the Washington Mystics did not make the playoffs in 2016 and have never actually won the WNBA championship. She will look to change the culture in Washington and hope to bring the Mystics their first championship.
While Elena Delle Donne may no longer be on the Sky, fans should remember just how talented she is. Some have even called her the “female Kevin Durant”.
Unfortunately she was unhappy in her situation and was eventually moved. Atleast the Sky were able to get three impressive assets in return.
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