Elena Delle Donne named WNBA MVP

“My teammates are definitely the ones I have to credit and my coaches as well”. We had so much fun this year. “That’s huge for me and losing Sylvia made me want to step it up defensively on the boards because we didn’t have someone there who was just an eraser”. Speaking after a preseason game at Delaware in May, Delle Donne felt it was imperative she improve her defense and become more of a force in the post, partially because the Sky no longer had Olympian Sylvia Fowles playing center.

The Sky, led by Delle Donne, reached the WNBA Finals previous year before being swept by Phoenix.

She has to eat well, staying away from foods that could cause inflammation and take dietary supplements. She also averaged 8.4 rebounds per game and over a steal per game during the regular season. She also shot 95 percent from the free throw line and finished third in the league in rebounding. “The players we have that were healthy, we played them, no matter the battle”.

The 26-year-old tallied 38 of 39 possible first-place votes for 385 points, making her the Chicago Sky’s first MVP recipient. The reigning MVP had another really strong season averaging 20.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists to help Minnesota get the No. 1 seed in the West. Players were awarded 10 points for each first-place vote, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth, and one for fifth.

Other contenders include Tina Charles of the New York Liberty, who was the best player on the league’s best team.

Delle Donne’s Chicago Sky finished 21-13 this season, the second-best mark in the WNBA’s Eastern Conference.

Delle Donne sees Pennsylvania-based nurse practitioner Rita Rhoads every week during the offseason to make sure her blood tests are satisfactory.

“A WNBA championship is by far the biggest goal”, she said during a live interview on SportsCenter on Wednesday. “That would be far the most incredible thing to bring home to Chicago”.