We didn’t expect Larry David to work his way into WNBA legend Elena Delle Donne‘s Hall of Fame speech, but here we are. The two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player and seven-time All-Star was officially inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday. After taking the podium for her speech, Delle Donne made a reference all fans of Larry David’s work will know well. “Before I get started, Larry David is in the building so I can only hope this speech goes pret-tay, pret-tay, pret-tay, pret-tay good,” she said. MORE: Caitlin Clark continues exerting WNBA dominance with another historic game A quick camera shot of David showed the “Seinfeld” creator and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star approved. Along with Delle Donne, fellow WNBA legends Candace Parker and Chamique Holdsclaw were inducted, and the 1996 USA Basketball Women’s National Team was honored as well. There was some NBA greats included in the group of inductees, with Amar’e Stoudemire, Doc Rivers and Mike D’Antoni all enshrined. Rounding out the list of inductees were referee Joey Crawford and Gonzaga coach Mark Few. Elena Delle Donne’s Hall of Fame speech Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 Inductee Elena Delle Donne poses for a picture with Kristin Hughes, Director of Athletics at Smith College, at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 Induction Ceremony at the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville, Tenn., on June 27, 2026. (Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect) Elena Delle Donne’s Hall of Fame speech included a heartfelt love letter to basketball. “You’ve been with me since I was a gangly kid in Delaware, trying to shoot over a ladder named Oscar to help me develop my shooting arc. You never cared if I was awkward,” she said. “You turned my greatest childhood insecurity, my height, into a superpower. You never made me feel silly when I was wearing an oven mitt on my guide hand to develop better shooting form,” Delle Donne added. MORE: Indiana Fever continues to make WNBA viewership history Elena Delle Donne’s basketball career May 19, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne (11) drives to the basket as New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones (35) defends in the third quarter at Entertainment & Sports Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters) We already mentioned Delle Donne’s two MVP awards and seven All-Star nods, but she was also a five-time All-WNBA selection, the 2013 Rookie of the Year and the 2015 scoring champion. Delle Donne, who was initially the No. 2 overall pick of the Chicago Sky, played a crucial role in the Washington Mystics’ lone WNBA title in 2019. Prior to her WNBA career, Delle Donne starred at Delaware, where she was one of the most prolific scorers in women’s college basketball history. MORE: Elena Delle Donne pens emotional note to announce retirement She averaged over 25 points per game in each season and ranks 11th all-time on the scoring list with 3,039 career points. Delle Donne’s list of college honors are seemingly endless:
2× Women’s Basketball Academic All-American of the Year (2012, 2013) 2× All-American – WBCA, USBWA (2012, 2013) 2× First-team All-American – AP (2012, 2013) Third-team All-American – AP (2010) NCAA season scoring leader (2012) 3× CAA Player of the Year (2010, 2012, 2013) CAA Freshman of the Year (2010) 4× First-team All-CAA (2010–2013) 3× CAA All-Defensive Team (2010, 2012, 2013) CAA All-Freshman Team (2010)
Safe to say, between her college and WNBA careers, there’s no doubt Delle Donne earned her flowers and goes down in history as one of the greatest players in women’s basketball. — Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —