From quitting as a freshman to Hall of Fame induction, Elena Delle Donne's comeback story

Elena Delle Donne quit basketball before beginning her freshman season at college, citing burnout and homesickness. A year later she returned to the game, first playing volleyball at Delaware before rejoining the basketball team as a sophomore, ultimately amassing more than 3,000 career points. Drafted No. 2 by the Chicago Sky in 2013, she later joined the Washington Mystics in 2017, earning two MVP honors, seven All-Star nods, and helping the Mystics capture the 2019 championship while contending with three herniated spinal discs and Lyme disease.

Injuries forced her retirement in 2023, and she will be honored at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday as a member of the Class of 2026. Delle Donne highlighted the importance of stepping away to rediscover her identity beyond basketball and credited her sister Lizzie, who is blind and deaf, for grounding her perspective. Her journey underscores a remarkable turnaround from early departure to the sport's highest recognition.