Elena Delle Donne

“When I came in as a rookie, I wanted to try my best to be marketable, get a signature shoe, do all those things. There were a lot of moments where it was like, 'This is hard, I don't know if this is gonna happen,'”

Elena Delle Donne · said 2026-07-24 · reported 2026-07-26

Delle Donne recalled the difficulties she faced as a rookie trying to grow her marketability and the league's profile.

“I came into the league and made the choice to try to stay home and be marketable. Going overseas, there was a lot of money to be made there, but I did feel like we were losing the market and people would forget about the WNBA in the offseason,”

Elena Delle Donne · said 2026-07-24 · reported 2026-07-26

Delle Donne explained her decision to stay stateside and remain marketable rather than play overseas during the offseason.

“You just keep your head down, keep working and trust in the process. I'm so proud of where this league is and where it will continue to go.”

Elena Delle Donne · said 2026-07-24 · reported 2026-07-26

Delle Donne expressed pride in the WNBA's progress and its future trajectory.