Elena Delle Donne Named 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year

NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2013 – Elena Delle Donne of the Chicago Sky is the recipient of the 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award, the WNBA announced today. Delle Donne was a unanimous selection by a national panel of 39 sportswriters and broadcasters who voted for the award.

The No. 2 pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm, Delle Donne led all rookies in points (18.1 ppg), free throw percentage (.929, 157-for-169), three-point field goal percentage (.438, 42-for-96), and minutes (31.4 mpg). She ranked second amongst her fellow rookies in rebounds (5.6 rpg) and blocks (1.8 bpg). Overall, she led the league in free-throw percentage, while ranking second in three-point field goal percentage, fourth in scoring, and fifth in blocks. The 6-5 forward/guard swept the Rookie of the Month honors this season.

In her professional debut on May 27, she collected 22 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in a 102-80 win against the Phoenix Mercury. Perhaps Delle Donne’s best game came on Aug. 11, in a 94-86 overtime victory against the league-leading Minnesota Lynx. In that game she produced a career-high 32 points, her first time hitting the 30-point plateau as a professional, and forced overtime with her fourth three-pointer of the game with 4.5 seconds left in regulation. In another notable performance, Delle Donne posted 18 points including the buzzer-beating game winner to give the Sky the 70-68 edge over the visiting Mercury on Sept. 11.

In honor of being named the 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year, Delle Donne will receive $5,000 and a specially designed trophy by Tiffany & Co.

Below are the complete results of the 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year voting, followed by a list of previous winners:

2013 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR RESULTS

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR WINNERS