Tuesday night, Elena put up 9 points and 3 rebounds in less than 11 minutes of play before suffering the injury in Chicago's game against the Sparks in Los Angeles. Who knows what numbers EDD might have produced if she had not been forced to leave the game? Who knows what the final result might have been if EDD had been on the floor in those crucial moments of the second half? Think about it. Chicago only lost to the Sparks by 4 points with their top scorer unavailable for most of the game.
This is not the first injury that Della Donne has suffered in her rookie season. Just before the All-Star break, EDD went up for a jump shot v Washington, came down in tight quarters, and cracked her head on the Verizon Center floor. Elena told me that is when everything got really fuzzy!
Elena Della Donne: "Assistant coach, Christie Sides, was trying to tell me what to do on offense and I was just staring at her with this blank look. I had no idea what was going on . She said, 'What is wrong with you' and I told her, 'I hit my head. I'm sorry.' She said, 'You NEED to see the doctor. There is no way you can play the rest of this game."
EDD had a concussion that was going to keep her out of action and out of the WNBA All-Star game in late July. Bad news for any player, but even worse for Della Donne who was the first rookie ever to be the league's top vote-getter for the stellar affair. Even after the fall, she was planning to fly to Connecticut, but doctors told her EDD that all the noise and activity at All-Star weekend might slow her recovery.
EDD: It was very upsetting because it was such an honor to be the #1 vote-getter and to be in my first All-Star game, but everything happens for a reason and I was able to rest a little bit and get ready for the second half of the season. That's all I did during the All-Star weekend. I rested in a dark room where I wouldn't get too much of a headache. I was trying to get my symptoms down, but I just kept thinking about when I could play again. That was tough because a lot of times the symptoms didn't seem to be there, but you have to go through this whole process to get back on the court, so I had to be patient and realize that my brain is very important. My coaches were helping me through that."
In spite of Della Donne's bump on the head and a sprain of on the foot, her transitions to the WNBA has been almost seamless. She is Chicago's leading scorer, is posting 18 points and 5 rebounds per night, while leading the WNBA in 3 point shooting and free throw percentage.
EDD: "It's been a pretty smooth transition. Obviously, there's been some ups and downs as a rookie, but my teammates have really helped me along the way to make it as smooth as possible. I thought I would fit in really well with this team, so I am not really shocked that I have fit into the system and been able to produce. I'm just glad that we've been able to be successful and gel the way we have.
The Sky players give EDD credit for making them better and Chicago's record proves it. Della Donne brings a versatile skill set to the game that is rare to find. Since elementary school, she has worked with a personal coach to improve her footwork and ball-handling ability, but EDD feels that her new teammates are making her an even better player and making her transition to the pros as simple as possible.
EDD: " I am 6-5 and I've got guard skills, so that really helps me. It give me some extra room to work, but my teammates are amazing! Everyone on this team is so spectacular, so it makes my life a whole lot easier. The toughest part for me has been the travel. It is tough on your body and you really have to get your rest and revamp for the next game because you probably have only one or two days between games and then it's time to play another one. I am still getting used to that."
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LB note: Seattle Storm head coach & GM, Brian Agler told me that, "Della Donne was the most talented player in the 2013 WNBA Draft. She has become the go-to player in Chicago. Britney Griner will never be the go-to player in Phoenix as long as Diana Taurasi is there."
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The L.A. Sparks get back to work Friday night at Staples Center and I will too when Tamika Catchings and the Indiana Fever come to town. The Sparks "starved the Fever" in Indy, last week, held Indiana to 34% fg, and won on the road 74-64. The rematch is set for 8pm (pt) and I'll have the play-by-play call on TWC SportsNet. Pre-game coverage begins at 7:30(pt).
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