Elena Delle Donne is six feet, five inches of fierce competitor, which is why she was the number two pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft, second only to her USA teammate Brittney Griner. The Chicago Sky won out and this past year, Elena was named MVP of the entire league.
While she’s always been outspoken about the inclusion of lesbian/bi players in the WNBA, it’s in the new issue of Vogue that Elena’s partner, Amanda Clifton, is acknowledged as something other than her “friend” for the first time. From the August issue:
“…Elena divides her time between traveling with her team, the Chicago Sky, and her family’s home in the rolling green landscape of Wilmington, Delaware. She and her fiancee, Amanda Clifton, keep apartments in both Chicago and Wilmington.”
This place was so cool! So glad we got the chance to experience the @SavedByTheMax #SavedByTheMax
A photo posted by Elena Delle Donne (@de11edonne) on Jul 14, 2016 at 6:40pm PDT
The two-page profile also notes that Elena and Amanda (who played ball in college) run Delle Donne Academy clinics together, “run for children ages seven through eighteen.” And Amanda, of course, will join Elena in Rio as she competes as part of Team USA.
Elena was recently featured in the ESPN Body Issue, discussing how she deals with Lyme disease and her training schedule, among other things.
As another face of both the WNBA and Team USA steps forward out and proud, we celebrate the growing inclusiveness and diversity of women’s professional athletics. We’ll be rooting for you in Rio, Elena!
