While former WNBA star Elena Delle Donne received her much-deserved crown, the fans couldn't contain the noise, hype and applause.

“A 1-of-1 player,” the WNBA’s official post read on August 15, 2026. “Celebrating the legendary career of 2026 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Elena Delle Donne.”

Delle Donne capped a historic year with back-to-back Hall of Fame inductions: the Women's Basketball HOF on June 27 and the recent Naismith Memorial HOF on August 15, which the league celebrated with this post.

The shared clip by WNBA in their celebratory post was only the tip of the iceberg. Donne, who started her WNBA journey with a Rookie of the Year award in 2013, won two MVP awards with the Chicago Sky (2015) and the Washington Mystics (2019).

The 7x WNBA All-Star and 5x All-WNBA led the Mystics to a championship in 2019 and became the first WNBA player to join the 50/40/90 club.

A generational player like Donne is hard to come by, and the fans' reactions were immediate and overwhelming.

Fans Showered Elena Delle Donne With Praise

Despite only 11 WNBA seasons, sitting out the 2024 season due to injury before retiring in 2025, Donne has been one of the most complete players in the league. Fans didn’t just celebrate the stat lines but also justified Donne’s Hall of Fame status.

“One of the most complete players the WNBA has ever seen. Two MVPs, a championship and the first 50/40/90 season in WNBA history. Elena Delle Donne is a Hall of Famer, no doubt,” wrote a fan. Another agreed, “One of my favorite WNBA players ever.”

The primary reason behind Donne’s retirement was the chronic injuries and physical toll the sport took on her. The star admitted that her body “seemed to make this decision before (her) mind accepted it.” But some fans expressed the desire to see her play again.

“She should come back; she was hitting half-court shots without effort at All-Star,” wrote one. Another echoed the same sentiment: “Need to come back to the Mystics.”

However, among past champions like Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Lisa Leslie, Sue Bird or reigning stars like A’Ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Mitchell, or rising names like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, etc, one fan had the most heartwarming two-word comment.

“My GOAT,” they wrote.

If the Hall of Fame induction didn’t keep Donne on cloud nine already, she should take a look at these comments. These are the types of love and recognition that can surpass any accolade any day.

Do you agree? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Deblina Roy