Elena Delle Donne hadn't shot a basketball since stepping away from the sport after the 2023 WNBA season, but it didn't take long for her muscle memory to kick in when she returned to the court last month.
Delle Donne turned in a vintage performance during the 2026 WNBA All-Star Shooting Stars competition, where she knocked down three half-court shots to help Team Washington win, despite the fact that she hadn't "shot in three years," Delle Donne said. She looked so good that some wondered if a comeback was on the horizon.
"It's (not) a no, but it wasn't a yes," Delle Donne joked on July 24. "I have to work on my stamina."
In that moment, Delle Donne proved that greatness never fades. She will be immortalized in the Naismith Basketball Hall of
Fame's Class of 2026 on Saturday, Aug. 15, in Springfield, Massachusetts, the “Birthplace of Basketball.” Candace Parker, Chamique Holdsclaw and the 1996 U.S. Women’s National Team will also be inducted, in addition to Doc Rivers, Amar’e Stoudemire, Mike D’Antoni, Mark Few and Joey Crawford.
Delle Donne, the 6-foot-5 unicorn from Delaware, redefined the forward position with her guard-like skills, elite shooting touch and versatility. Her name is all over WNBA history books as a result.
The seven-time All-Star and five-time All-WNBA star became the first player in WNBA history to win MVP honors for two different teams (Chicago Sky in 2015, Washington Mystics in 2019). She's also the first member of the prestigious 50-40-90 club, finishing the regular season shooting at least 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point range and 90% from the free throw line in 2019, the same year she led the Mystics to their first and only title.
Delle Donne still holds the WNBA career record for free-throw percentage at 93.7%. She credits her efficiency throughout her career to her focus on mechanics at an early age.
"I really think back to little Elena," Delle Donne reflected in July. "It kind of goes back to being in the backyard, shooting over a ladder. That's when I first started developing my arc pattern. ... I would shoot over the backboard. ... I would do wall slides. So it wasn't just like a ton of reps at shooting. It was all the mechanics to make sure it all felt right."
Elena Delle Donne #26HoopClass Jersey. 🏀 pic.twitter.com/85kfOAXSIQ
— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) August 14, 2026
Her foundation paid instant dividends. Delle Donne was drafted second overall out of Delaware by the Chicago Sky in 2013 and went on to win Rookie of the Year. Her first MVP honor came in 2015 when she averaged career-highs in points (23.4) and rebounds (8.4), also taking home a WNBA scoring title. Delle Donne forced a trade from the Sky to the Mystics in 2017, setting a new precedent for player empowerment in the WNBA.
Two years later, she fueled the Mystics championship run in 2019 while playing with herniated discs in her back. Delle Donne also battled Lyme disease throughout her career.
Despite the many accolades that culminated to her Hall of Fame induction, Delle Donne said her proudest accomplishment is being a sister to Lizzie, who was born deaf and blind, with cerebral palsy and autism.
Being close to her older sister was Delle Donne's main motivation in leaving UConn to play at the University of Delaware, near her hometown, after a hiatus. She soon learned that she could use her platform to advocate for others.
"I have an older sister with severe special needs, so I found out at an early age that because I could put a ball in a hoop, people were going to listen to me," Delle Donne said. "And I was like, let me do something with my voice and let me be her voice and hopefully I can inspire others. And as a little kid, I remember friends being afraid of my sister and I was like, she's the greatest gift in the world to me. She's my angel, my guiding light. People need to see this. So I think from that age, seeing that, being like, we need to do more and get people with special needs out there and be a part of the Special Olympics, all those things. I hope I made Lizzie proud."
Delle Donne was named a Global Ambassador for Special Olympics in 2014 and helped the U.S. Women's national team win gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She was named the U.S. Women's National 3x3 Basketball team's first managing director in September 2025.
Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Elena Delle Donne thinks of 'little Elena' ahead of Hall of Fame induction
