USA Basketball appointed former WNBA Most Valuable Player Elena Delle Donne as its first managing director for the 3\u00d73 women\u2019s national team Monday.<\/p>\n
Delle Donne officially retired earlier this year \u2014 she hadn\u2019t played since 2023 due in part to health concerns \u2014 and now the longtime Washington Mystics star will take on an active role in guiding Team USA\u2019s efforts in women\u2019s 3\u00d73 hoops.<\/p>\n
\u201cUSA Basketball was an important part of my on-court career for a decade and a half. To have the opportunity to continue my journey with the organization, and to help shape and grow the 3\u00d73 program, is something that I take very seriously,\u201d Delle Donne said in a news release. \u201cThank you to USA Basketball for trusting me with this role. I\u2019m excited to get started.\u201d<\/p>\n
Delle Donne was unanimously approved by the governing body\u2019s board of directors and rounds out a group of ex-players in key leadership roles at USA Basketball.<\/p>\n
Grant Hill has served as the managing director of the men\u2019s national team since 2021; Jimmer Fredette was named the 3\u00d73 men\u2019s national team\u2019s managing director in May; and Sue Bird was selected as the first managing director of the women\u2019s national team, also in May.<\/p>\n
Delle Donne will soon \u201cidentify USA 3\u00d73 Women\u2019s National Team coaching staff and players,\u201d according to USA Basketball. The biggest international competition on the horizon, of course, is the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Team USA also competes in FIBA competitions like the 3\u00d73 World Cup, the 3\u00d73 Champions Cup and the 3\u00d73 AmeriCup.<\/p>\n
Three-on-three basketball, officially abbreviated as 3\u00d73, was first staged at the Olympics in 2020. The United States women\u2019s team won gold that year but settled for Bronze last year in Paris, when Germany took gold.<\/p>\n
Delle Donne, 36, spent her 10-season WNBA career with the Chicago Sky (2013-16) and Mystics (2017-19, 2021-23), with whom she won the 2019 WNBA title along with her second MVP award following her first award in 2015.<\/p>\n
A member of the WNBA 25th Anniversary Team and the first WNBA player to post a 50-40-90 shooting season, Delle Donne averaged 19.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for her career.<\/p>\n
\u2013Field Level Media<\/p>\n
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