WNBA Reacts to Former Chicago Sky Star's Retirement Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Levi M. Dombro | Last updated Apr 4, 2025 3:04 PM ET

The Chicago Sky was one of the worst teams in the WNBA for the first seven seasons of the franchise's existence. The organization had yet to have a winning season since its inaugural season in 2006 and went through four different head coaches until something changed in 2013.

That something was Elena Delle Donne, who the Sky drafted with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft after a 14-win season the year prior. Over the next four years, Chicago was a staple in the postseason, even advancing to the WNBA Finals in 2014 and the semifinals in 2016.

However, after that impressive four-year run in Chicago, Delle Donne was sent to the Washington Mystics in a blockbuster trade. She won the WNBA MVP Award in 2015, was a three-time All Star and was coming off of two straight First-Team All-WNBA selections, but still, the team parted ways with their superstar player.

On Friday, the former Sky star officially retired from playing. Reacting to this news, the WNBA shared a graphic of reactions from around the basketball world.

On and off the court, EDD is an inspiration.

Thank you Elena pic.twitter.com/NskedYB3He
— WNBA (@WNBA) April 4, 2025

Delle Donne spent seven years with the Mystics, where she won another MVP Award and a WNBA Championship in 2019. After six healthy seasons in Washington, the former No. 2 pick by the Chicago Sky called it a career on Friday, retiring after 10 seasons in the league.

What a legendary career it was for Delle Donne, who transformed the game as a big wing that was both a two-way threat and had tremendous ability to shoot from the outside. She may not have spent her entire career with the Sky, but her WNBA roots will always be in Chicago.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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