CHICAGO — A lot has changed since Elena Delle Donne retired. The league has expanded to 15 teams, with three more on the way, a new collective bargaining agreement has brought significantly higher salaries, and, most important of all, the trophies are a lot bigger. 

The two-time MVP and 2019 champion with the Mystics was back in the winners circle Friday after helping Team Washington claim the inaugural Shooting Stars competition at All-Star Weekend in Chicago alongside Shakira Austin and high school star Jezelle “GG” Banks. 

“This is the best trophy I got in my whole career,” Delle Donne joked. “This is nice.”

Banks, who spent multiple years at Delle Donne’s former high school – Ursuline Academy in Wilmington, Delaware – hit the championship-clinching shot in Friday’s competition, which brought together the past, present and future of the league as part of the WNBA’s season-long 30th anniversary celebration.

“I loved it. I hope the viewers loved it,” Delle Donne said. “To be able to lead the next generation and see our next superstars rising, it’s gonna be really cool when she’s in this down the road when she’s a WNBA All-Star.”

Banks led Team USA to a gold medal at the U18 AmeriCup earlier this year, and her performance Friday was another reminder that the league is in good hands moving forward – thanks in large part to the sacrifice of those like Delle Donne, who was drafted No. 2 overall in 2013. 

“I came into the league and made the choice to try to stay home and be marketable. Going overseas, there was a lot of money to be made there, but I did feel like we were losing the market and people would forget about the WNBA in the offseason,” Delle Donne said. 

“When I came in as a rookie, I wanted to try my best to be marketable, get a signature shoe, do all those things. There were a lot of moments where it was like, ‘This is hard, I don’t know if this is gonna happen,’” Delle Donne continued. “You just keep your head down, keep working and trust in the process. I’m so proud of where this league is and where it will continue to go.”

From 2013-15, not a single team drew 10,000 fans per game. Over that same stretch, multiple teams were averaging fewer than 6,000 fans, including the 2015 San Antonio Silver Stars, who were pulling in just 4,800 a night. 

“We were told you need to do this or this league is folding. There was never talk of expansion or anything. It was like we gotta do everything we possibly can to make this continue to happen,” Delle Donne said. “I’m thrilled that that conversion is over with and everybody gets to see how incredible this game is and where it’s gonna go.”

Fast forward to this season, and nine of the league’s 15 teams are averaging at least 10,000 fans, three are above 15,000 per game and the Golden State Valkyries have sold out every game. 

Nothing highlights how far the league has come as much as All-Star Weekend. Team Washington won Shooting Stars and Azzi Fudd won the 3-Point Contest in front of a packed house at Wintrust Arena, just down the block from WNBA Live, a three-day interactive fan experience. Come Saturday, the All-Star Game will tip-off at a sold-out United Center, which holds over 20,000 people. 

“My first [All-Star Game], it was almost just like pulling up for a scrimmage and leaving,” Delle Donne said. “Now it’s a whole weekend and everybody is getting celebrated the way they should.”

That includes Delle Donne, one of the league’s all-time great talents. Lyme disease and back injuries limited her to 241 games over 10 seasons and forced her to retire at 33, but she’s still inspiring the next generations – on and off the court. 

Austin, who played with Delle Donne in Washington from 2022-23, said having the opportunity to take the floor with her again was a “great moment” and brought things “full circle.” Now, she wants to leave the league in a better place for Banks, just as Delle Donne did for her. 

“That CBA was transformational,” Austin said. “At the end of the day, it’s about continuing to pave the way and keep fighting for more. I don’t think we’re done. By the time [Banks] gets into the WNBA, there’s gonna be a whole other CBA that’s gonna be life changing. 

“Every day we’re just trying to continue to fight for women in sports and show that we have everything we need to make it and be successful. Just gotta give us the opportunity.”