Parker, Delle Donne: WNBA has to protect players
Key takeaways
- Parker and Delle Donne, who finished their playing careers in 2023, said they took a lot of contact as post players who moved around the court like guards.
- "The physicality has always been there," said Parker, who won WNBA titles with Los Angeles (2016), Chicago (2021) and Las Vegas (2023).
- Delle Donne, who battled back issues throughout her career but especially over the last five years of playing, said she would have much preferred more freedom of movement.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- As they prepare to be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, two-time WNBA MVPs Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne and four-time championship-winning coach Cheryl Reeve spoke Friday about what progress has been made in the league's officiating and style of play -- and what needs to improve.
Speaking one day after the WNBA suspended Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas for her hit on the Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark, Parker, Delle Donne and Reeve agreed that the league needs to do a better job of protecting its players and cracking down on excessive contact.
Parker and Delle Donne, who finished their playing careers in 2023, said they took a lot of contact as post players who moved around the court like guards.