Elena Delle Donne just made her first competitive appearance on a basketball court since April 2025. She didn’t miss a step. Working alongside Washington Mystics forward Shakira Austin and 17-year-old high school phenom Jezelle “GG” Banks, the two-time MVP claimed the WNBA Shooting Stars championship Friday night at Wintrust Arena.
Team Washington completely dismantled Team Seattle in the final round. They racked up 31 points to Seattle’s three. The victory marks a highly publicized return for Delle Donne in the exact same city where she started her pro career as the No. 2 draft pick in 2013. Severe back issues forced her to step away from the game last year, but you wouldn’t know it watching her shoot this weekend.
For the league’s 30th-anniversary season, the WNBA overhauled its All-Star Friday Night schedule. Officials replaced the traditional Skills Challenge with this new shooting format. It pairs retired league legends with current roster members and top prospects from the Nike EYBL circuit.
Banks ultimately sealed the victory. The high school recruit drained two 4-point shots from half-court to close out the dominant performance. Team Seattle members Lauren Jackson and Flau’jae Johnson took second place after struggling to find the net in the final minute.
The event also highlighted a massive financial jump for the players. The current collective bargaining agreement generated a substantial increase in event prize money following Team Washington’s 31-point finish. Each professional winner took home $7,500 from a $15,000 team prize pool. This is a sharp jump from the $2,575 players received for winning skills contests before the CBA adjustments.
Delle Donne also made a guest appearance on ESPN’s WNBA Countdown broadcast during the event. She discussed the league’s rapid expansion and what it meant to step back into the All-Star atmosphere.