WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 17: Elena Delle Donne #11 of the Washington Mystics talks at the press conference after the game against the Las Vegas Aces on September 17, 2019 at the St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images)
She’s was the obvious choice after a historic season, and Elena Delle Donne will indeed take home her second WNBA MVP award.
Elena Delle Donne led the Washington Mystics to the No. 1 seed in the WNBA playoffs, and they are currently in the league semifinals. On Thursday, according to ESPN’s Mechelle Voepel, the league announced Delle Donne has won the second MVP award of her career.
The Mystics play at home Thursday night in Game 2 of their semifinal series against the Las Vegas Aces. Before the game, Delle Donne will receive her award from WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
Delle Donne got 41 of 43 first-place votes, for a total of 420 points. Phoenix’s Brittney Griner (167 points) came in second, followed by Connecticut’s Jonquel Jones (145 points), Los Angeles Nneka Ogwumike (128 points), Seattle’s Natasha Howard (121 points) and Chicago’s Courtney Vandersloot (81 points). According to Voepel’s source, Vandersloot got the other two first-place votes.
Delle Donne is the first Mystics player to win league MVP. She’s the sixth player in league history to win the award more than once, joining three-time winners Lauren Jackson, Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes and two-time winners Cynthia Cooper and Candace Parker. With her other MVP coming in 2015, when she was with Chicago, Delle Donne is now the first player in WNBA history to win the award with two teams.
It’s a huge thing,” Delle Donne said of winning the MVP award again. “It’s something that, when my career is over, maybe I’ll look back on it and brag to my kids or grandkids.
Delle Donne was the league’s second-leading scorer during the regular season, averaging 19.5 points per game to go with 8.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 blocked shots per game. She also became the first WNBA player to record a 50/40/90 season, as she shot 51.5 percent from the floor, 43 percent from 3-point range and 97.4 percent from the line (114 makes in 117 free throw attempts).