Elena Delle Donne wins Shooting Stars as WNBA boom fills Chicago
Elena Delle Donne helped Team Washington win the first WNBA Shooting Stars event, then reflected on how far the league has grown.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Elena Delle Donne Shooting Stars night turned into a tidy little time capsule: a retired WNBA great, a current Washington Mystics standout and a teenage prospect teaming up in Chicago while the league celebrated how far it has come.
Delle Donne, the two-time MVP and 2019 WNBA champion, helped Team Washington win the first Shooting Stars competition at All-Star Weekend on Friday, according to CBS Sports. She competed with Mystics forward Shakira Austin and high school player Jezelle “GG” Banks.
Banks, who spent multiple years at Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Delaware, the same high school Delle Donne attended, made the shot that sealed the title for Team Washington. The event was part of the WNBA’s season-long 30th anniversary celebration, CBS Sports reported.
Delle Donne joked to CBS Sports that the trophy was the best one she had received in her career, then pointed to Banks as a glimpse of what could be next for the league.
What did Elena Delle Donne say about WNBA growth?
Delle Donne told CBS Sports she takes pride in the WNBA’s rise after entering the league in 2013, when she said players felt pressure to keep the league visible and viable. She said she chose to stay in the United States rather than play overseas in the offseason because she wanted fans to keep paying attention to the WNBA.
The former No. 2 overall pick said she wanted to build a marketable profile as a rookie, including chasing goals such as a signature shoe, even when she was unsure whether that work would pay off. She told CBS Sports that persistence helped, and that she is proud of where the league stands now.
The difference is easy to see in the numbers cited by CBS Sports. From 2013 through 2015, no WNBA team averaged 10,000 fans per game, and some clubs were below 6,000. The 2015 San Antonio Silver Stars averaged about 4,800 fans per game, according to the report.
This season, nine of the WNBA’s 15 teams are averaging at least 10,000 fans, CBS Sports reported. Three teams are above 15,000 per game, and the Golden State Valkyries have sold out every home game.
How big is WNBA All-Star Weekend now?
The league’s growth showed up across Chicago. Team Washington won Shooting Stars and Azzi Fudd won the 3-Point Contest at Wintrust Arena, while WNBA Live, a three-day fan event, took place nearby, according to CBS Sports.
The All-Star Game was set for Saturday at the United Center, which holds more than 20,000 people, and CBS Sports reported that the game was sold out. Delle Donne said her first All-Star experience felt much more modest, while the current version has become a full weekend of recognition for players.
The WNBA has also expanded to 15 teams, with three more planned, and a new collective bargaining agreement has brought higher salaries, CBS Sports reported. A collective bargaining agreement, or CBA, is the labor deal between the league and its players that sets key rules on pay and working conditions.
Austin, who played with Delle Donne in Washington from 2022 to 2023, told CBS Sports that sharing the court with her again was meaningful. She said the current generation is trying to keep improving conditions so players such as Banks arrive in a stronger league.
Delle Donne’s career was limited by Lyme disease and back injuries, CBS Sports noted. She played 241 games over 10 seasons and retired at 33, but her All-Star Weekend return put her back in the winner’s circle, this time alongside the present and future of the WNBA.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.