One of the biggest trades in WNBA history sent Elena Delle Donne to the Washington Mystics, Her numbers have not changed much

Elena Delle Donne is a super star in the WNBA. She is the very definition of a franchise player with abilities that most of us only dream of having. The 6-foot-5 combination guard/forward has been playing at the center spot for the Mystics for parts of this year.

Yes, Delle Donne is a player who literally can play all five positions on the court. Where she struggles the most is on the bench.

I have waited to write this article until there was a decent sample size and with one third of the season gone, I think conclusions can start to be drawn.

Delle Donne’s 31.0 minutes per game is the lowest since her injury plagued 2104 season where she played 25.5 minutes per contest. This however is not affecting her numbers to a great extent.

Scoring

Delle Donne has not slowed her scoring pace a great deal. In 2015 she went at 23.4 points per game which is her best output. Last year, Delle Donne scored 21.5 points per game. This season, her 20.1 points per game is closer to her career average which currently stands at 20.5 points per game.

Her slash line for the year is 48/32/96 which except for the three point percentage is better than her career 46/38/94. I did not think it was possible for her free throw percentage to increase but it has. She is the best free throw shooter in the history in the league.

Her 20.5 points per game is second in the history of the WNBA, behind only Cynthia Cooper who went at 21.0 points per game. These are the only two players in the history of the game to average more than 20 points per game.

After just four and a half seasons in the game, Delle Donne has already made it into the top 100, currently sitting at 82nd all-time. She is a really good chance of beating whatever mark Diana Taurasi sets.

Rebounding

Delle Donne is rebounding numbers are slightly down on her MVP year in 2015 (8.4 per game) and last year (7.0 per game). However, her 6.8 rebounds per game is up on her career number of 6.6 rebounds per game.

Delle Donne is always up near the top of the rebounding charts, she is currently 12th on the season for total rebounds. Historically, her 6.6 rebounds per game sits her at 27th all-time. This means she is sitting just outside the top 100 for both defensive and total rebounds after just four and a half seasons.

Blocks

Delle Donne’s 1.4 blocks per game is down on her career number of 1.7 blocks per game. It is still an impressive number and good enough for sixth in the league this season. Her career number is good enough for eighth all-time. Her 199 blocks have her in 32nd all time for total blocks.

Delle Donne is such a good player, it would not matter which team you put her in, she would still perform at an elite level. The good thing for that team is she would improve them immediately as well. She has done this for the Mystics since her arrival. They were last in the Eastern Conference last year, this season they are equal first. Not much more needs to be said.

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