How tall is Elena Delle Donne? Biography and personal life facts highlighted

How tall is Elena Delle Donne? Biography and personal life facts highlighted

Grace Waruguru
updated at January 12, 2024 at 10:46 AM

How tall is Elena Delle Donne? The American professional basketball player is among the tallest female athletes. Surprisingly, she struggled with her height while growing up, but it has become the most significant asset in her career. Check out her biography and exciting life facts in this article.

Elena Delle Donne
Elena Dall is 6 feet and 5 inches tall and plays for WNBA's Washington Mystics. Photo: Kenny Giarla (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

The average height of a WNBA player is 6 feet and 0,65 inches, per jokermag.com. However, some, like Elena, are taller than this, becoming an incredible asset to their teams. Elena is a small forward and shooting guard for the WNBA's Washington Mystics, a position she has held since 2017. How tall is Elena Delle Donne? Keep reading to find out.

Elena Delle Donne's profile summary

Full name

Elena Delle Donne

Age

34 years old (As of 2024)

Date of birth

September 5, 1989

Zodiac sign

Virgo

Place of birth

Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A

Nationality

American

Ethnicity

Mixed (English and Italian)

Parents

Ernest Donne, Joanne Delle Donne

Siblings

Gene and Lizzie

Sexual orientation

Gay

Marital status

Married

Partner

Amanda Cliffton

Height

6 feet, 5 inches

Weight

85kgs

Hair colour

Brown

Eye colour

Brown

Education

University of Delaware

Profession

Professional basketball player

Position

Small forward, shooting guard

Net worth

$400,000

Social media presence

Instagram, Facebook, X(Twitter)

Website

ellenadelledonne.com

How old is Elena Delle Donne?

how tall is Elena Delle Donne
Elena Delle Donne shoots a free throw against the Phoenix Mercur on June 16, 2023, in Washington, DC. Photo: Rob Carr (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Elena Delle Donne (aged 34 years old as of 2024) was born on September 5, 1989, in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A. She is among the fastest-rising female basketball players in America.

Family

Elena's parents are Ernest Donne and Joanne Delle Donne. Her father is a real estate developer, while the details of her mother are undisclosed. Delle has mixed English and Italian ethnicity.

The WNBA player grew up alongside two siblings, her brother Gene and her sister Elizabeth. Elena Delle Donne's sister was born deaf and blind and is autistic. Gene is a football player who was a tight end in Middle Tennessee.

How tall is Elena Delle Donne?

Elena is 6''5, a feature she likely got from her parents. Her mother is 6''2, while her father is 6 feet and 5 inches. As a young girl, she struggled with her height as she was taller than most of her agemates. By eighth grade, she was already 6 feet tall.

What is Elena Delle Donne's weight? The American athlete is 85kg. She has long brown hair and brown eyes,

Education

Elena Delle Donne wife
Elena Delle Donne during a match against Atlanta Dream at Gateway Center Arena on June 30, 2023, in College Park, Georgia. Photo: Alex Slitz (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

The 34-year-old studied at Ursuline Academy, where she started playing. She later studied Human Services at the University of Delaware in 2008. Elena Delle Donne's college performance made her the most highly acclaimed basketball recruit since Candace Parker. Initially, she received a scholarship to the University of Connecticut but dropped out abruptly to join Delaware, which enabled her to be close to her sister.

Career

Donne's star started shining in high school when she led her team to three consecutive Delaware State Championship titles. In college, she was voted CAA's (Coastal Athletic Association) Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in women's basketball. She became the first player to win both awards in one season since Lucienne Berthieu in 1999.

During her college years, she represented her country's basketball team at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China. She led the team to a gold medal and attained 15.7 points and 8.5 rebounds. Additionally, she was selected to be part of the 2014 World Championships but could not participate due to a back injury.

Elena Delle Donne awards
Elena Delle Donne addresses the media after the game against the Phoenix Mercury on September 5, 2023, at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo: Kate Frese (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Elena's professional debut was in 2013 when she was selected second overall in WNBA's Chicago Sky. She played with the team and transitioned to the Washington Mystics in 2017. Elena Delle Donne's awards include two WNBA Most Valuable Player Awards (2015 and 2019). Some of Elena Delle Donne's stats also include:

  • In 2013, she led all the Chicago Sky players in votes for the WNBA All-Star Game, becoming the first rookie to do so in league history.
  • The athlete played in two NBA All-Star Celebrity Games (2014) and 2016.
  • In 2021, The W25 named Elena one of the top 25 players of the WNBA's first 25 years.
  • She was the first WNBA player to join the 50–40–90 club, a group of elite NBA players distinguished as the league's best shooters.

Is Elena Delle Donne married?

Elena married her long-time girlfriend Amanda Clifton on November 3, 2017. Amanda proposed to Elena in June 2016, and Amanda reciprocated the gesture in July of the same year. Elena Delle Donne's wife is the director of De11e Donne Academy.

Does Elena Delle Donne have children?

Elena and Amanda do not have children (As of January 2024). They have two dogs, Wrigley and Rasta.

How much is Elena Delle Donne worth?

Elena Delle Donne sister
Elena Delle Donne shoots the ball in support of ending gun violence before the game against the Minnesota Lynx on June 3, 2023, in Washington, DC. Photo: Scott Taetsch (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Elena's successful career has earned her a luxurious lifestyle and facilitated other ventures outside basketball. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the shooting guard is worth $400,000. The amount is inclusive of her salary, investments, and brand endorsements.

Elena Delle Donne's salary

According to boardroom.tv, Elena earns approximately $224,870 annually. Her 4-year contract with Washington Mystics is worth $899,480. She is one of only three WNBA players boasting a supermax contact of this amount, alongside DeWanna Bonner and Skylar Diggins-Smith.

Endorsements

The 34-year-old has worked with several brands in her career. One of the most popular engagements is with Nike. Inspired by her sister's health condition, she partnered with the apparel company to design a unique shoe to aid her immobile foot.

Elena Delle Donne's shoes, branded ''Nike Air Deldon'' represented inclusivity for all athletes. The shoe was released in six different colour variations, each with a different story tied to significant elements of Delle Donne's life living with Lyme disease, a chronic illness caused by the bite of an infected tick.

Elena Delle Donne's Instagram

Elena has amassed a significant online following thanks to her impressive talent. Her Instagram account has over 457k followers (As of January 2024), while her Facebook fan page boasts approximately 352k followers. On X (Twitter), Donne has over 264k followers.

Final word

Elena Delle Donne has overcome insurmountable personal challenges to become one of the best WNBA players. Her consistent rise in the sport has set a firm foundation for a thriving career that will undoubtedly inspire countless female athletes interested in professional basketball.

READ MORE: Who is the best WNBA player of all time?

Sports Brief published a list of the best WNBA players of all time. These women have set impressive records since the league's inception in 1997. Here are some of the top female athletes.

Diana Taurasi is the best WNBA athlete of all time and is the all-time leading scorer with over 9000 points. Tamika Catchings is a retired player who spent her career with the Indiana Fever. Did your favourite make the list?

Authors
Grace Waruguru photo
Grace Waruguru
Grace has over 4 years of experience in article writing and digital media content creation for various local and global brands. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication (Public Relations) from Daystar University, Kenya.