New Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Elena Delle Donne was nearly moved to tears when highlighting the impact her sister, Lizzie, had on her life and career.
"Whenever I experienced my worst lows, burnout, injury, defeat (and) doubt, the lesson I needed was never on the court. It was at home, waiting for me - with my sister, Lizzie," Delle Donne said, voice quivering.
"For those of you who don't know, Lizzie is my big sister. She was born deaf and blind, has faced significant physical and developmental challenges throughout her life. She's never played in front of thousands of people. She's never had a standing ovation. She's never been interviewed after a big win. And yet I have never met anyone stronger."
Despite the many accolades that culminated in her Hall of Fame induction, Delle Donne has previously said her proudest accomplishment is being a sister to Lizzie, who also has cerebral palsy and autism. Being close to her older sister was Delle Donne's main motivation in leaving UConn to play at the University of Delaware, near her hometown, after a brief hiatus in college.
Delle Donne also said that once she learned she could play basketball at an early age, people would listen to her. She said she felt she needed to do something with her voice to inspire others. The WNBA legend explained that when she was younger, her friends were afraid of Lizzie. However, for Delle Donne, Lizzie was her "angel" and "guiding light."
#sister #life
"Whenever I experienced my worst lows, burnout, injury, defeat (and) doubt, the lesson I needed was never on the court. It was at home, waiting for me - with my sister, Lizzie," Delle Donne said, voice quivering.
"For those of you who don't know, Lizzie is my big sister. She was born deaf and blind, has faced significant physical and developmental challenges throughout her life. She's never played in front of thousands of people. She's never had a standing ovation. She's never been interviewed after a big win. And yet I have never met anyone stronger."
Despite the many accolades that culminated in her Hall of Fame induction, Delle Donne has previously said her proudest accomplishment is being a sister to Lizzie, who also has cerebral palsy and autism. Being close to her older sister was Delle Donne's main motivation in leaving UConn to play at the University of Delaware, near her hometown, after a brief hiatus in college.
Delle Donne also said that once she learned she could play basketball at an early age, people would listen to her. She said she felt she needed to do something with her voice to inspire others. The WNBA legend explained that when she was younger, her friends were afraid of Lizzie. However, for Delle Donne, Lizzie was her "angel" and "guiding light."
#sister #life
2 months ago
