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In (more) unsurprising rookie news, Chicago Sky rookie Elena Delle Donne has been announced as the unanimous 2013 WNBA Rookie of the Year and headlines the 2013 All-Rookie team.
The Chicago Sky release details some of her impressive accomplishments from the season.
Delle Donne made history several times this season. She had the best debut for a Sky rookie is franchise history recording 22 points against Phoenix on May 27. Her opening game point total put her third in league history for points by a rookie in a debut game.
Her 32 points against Minnesota on August 11 improved her Sky rookie record for points in a single game. Delle Donne set Sky rookie records in three-point field goals (42), blocks (54) and points (543) in a single season. Making 157 total free throws this season, Delle Donne set a new Sky single season free throws made record.
Both Delle Donne and Phoenix Mercury rookie Brittney Griner received the maximum 11 votes apiece for their All-Rookie team selections. Atlanta Dream rookie Alex Bentley and New York Liberty rookie Kelsey Bone followed with near-maximum scores of 10 apiece.
Name | Team | Position | Votes |
Elena Delle Donne | Chicago Sky | F | 11 |
Brittney Griner | Phoenix Mercury | C | 11 |
Alex Bentley | Atlanta Dream | G | 10 |
Kelsey Bone | New York Liberty | C | 10 |
Skylar Diggins | Tulsa Shock | G | 8 |
2013 WNBA All-Rookie Team voting.
None of this should be very surprising to anyone as this has pretty much been the opinion of most people around here since midseason. Statistically there are other players who could make a case for some impressive efficiency numbers during their rookie year, but these have been the five that played the most significant roles for their teams by far.
One player who probably deserves an honorable mention, albeit not really a snub, is Washington Mystics rookie Tayler Hill: after a rocky start to the season, Hill finished strong as she found her 3-point shooting stroke to help the Mystics build momentum heading into the playoffs.
For more analysis of the rookie class, check out our 2013 WNBA rookie watch storystream.