WNBA superstar Elena Delle Donne wants out of Chicago, could land in D.C. per report

Olympian and WNBA 2015 MVP Elena Delle Donne wants to leave the Chicago Sky, according to Howard Megdal of Vice Sports. And the Washington Mystics might be in the mix to land her.

Delle Donne has repeatedly expressed a desire to be close to her family in Delaware, including transferring from UConn to play for the University of Delaware before her freshman season even started. Washington D.C. is the closest WNBA franchise to Delle Donne's home state. While any trade would be lopsided in the direction of the team that lands Delle Donne, the Mystics have the #2 pick in the 2017 draft and a plethora of talented young players to entice the Chicago Sky with.

And if Chicago can't get a deal done, Delle Donne has expressed willingness to sit out the next WNBA season. Delle Donne is about to be a restricted free agent in January, but there is plenty of precedent for WNBA superstars under contract using the threat of sitting out a season (or more) as leverage to force trades - the most recent example being Delle Donne's own former teammate Sylvia Fowles, who forced a trade from Chicago to Minnesota.

Needless to say, Delle Donne would instantly put the Mystics in the contender mix. She's 6'5" (the size of a WNBA center) and arguably the best shooter in the league. She can seamlessly defend centers on one end of the floor and play like a wing on the other. If the Mystics can land Delle Donne without giving up their sharpshooting PF/C Emma Meesseman (considered un-tradable by the Mystics, according to the Vice article) they'll likely have one of the most potent offenses in the league.

WNBA free agency doesn’t start until January, and the season doesn’t start until May. If any deal is in the works, it could take months. But maybe, just maybe, something good will happen for D.C. sports.