The Mystics blew out the Aces, 95-72 on Thursday night with Elena Delle Donne scoring a season-high 29 points. It wasn’t just that Delle Donne scored 29 points though. Delle Donne managed to do it by dominating one of the WNBA’s top frontcourt duos in A’ja Wilson and Liz Cambage.
One of the advantages Delle Donne had against the likes of A’ja Wilson and Liz Cambage is her perimeter shooting. She shot 11-of-18 from the field and made 4-of-8 three pointers on Thursday night.
EDD's shot chart vs. the Aces on June 20, 2019 pic.twitter.com/KhImCBE1Pb
— Albert Lee (@aleeinthedmv) June 21, 2019
The other advantage Delle Donne brought to the table is her athleticism. She’s faster than Wilson and Cambage, which allowed her to move past them for baskets closer to the rim. Here are her first half highlights which show doing that time and time again.
1⃣6⃣ from @De11eDonne in the first half! #TogetherDC pic.twitter.com/qUu3T0iueM
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 21, 2019
Yes, a pair of imposing and bruising posts can lead a team to many victories. But quicker posts with great ball handling skills like Delle Donne can neutralize the “advantage of the bully,” if you will.