ROSEMONT, Ill. — Superstars returning to play their former teams for the first time typically come with outsized fanfare. Video tributes, weeks of buildup, anticipation and speculation. Tucked away at Allstate Arena in a late-morning Wednesday game that doubled as a school field trip, Elena Delle Donne’s first game against the Chicago Sky as a member of the Washington Mystics barely registered in terms of scale, but it was no less momentous to her.
It’s been a tumultuous offseason for the Sky and for Delle Donne. After four seasons in Chicago that included winning the 2015 WNBA MVP, the franchise’s first-ever playoff berth in 2013, and a Finals appearance in 2014, Delle Donne threatened to sit out this season unless she was traded.