Looking at the history of athletes-turned-businessmen, there are usually two reasons why they transition to entrepreneurship, and that’s to either earn additional money to support themselves once their careers end or to pursue their passion outside of basketball.
For Mystics Forward Elena Delle Donne, it’s the latter.
Donne introduces namesake wines
This week, Washington Mystics Forward Elena Delle Donne announced her partnership with the DD Project wines and introduced her newest namesake wine—the Deldon Wines.
Ben Pickman of The Athletic reported the news on X, attaching a commercial photo of Delle Donne, who appears to be on a basketball court, pouring the wine into a glass.
https://twitter.com/benpickman/status/1732041576577421465
Delle Donne also posted a promotional video of Deldon Wines on her Instagram. In the caption, the 34-year-old wrote that it had always been a dream of hers to have her own wine, as for her, the drink represents family and the community ‘we all share when we gather together’.
She also detailed that all of the proceeds will go to both the Elena Delle Donne Foundation and the DD Entrepreneurial Foundation, aiding Lyme disease research and supporting female entrepreneurs.
According to the DD Project’s description of the wine on their own Instagram, the delicious Pinot Noir features notes of blueberry and fresh cherry that mingle in a playful way with sweet tobacco, cola, and baking spices.
Donne as a basketball player
After graduating from college, Delle Donne joined the 2013 WNBA Draft as one of twelve players invited to the draft. From there, the Chicago Sky selected her second overall.
Delle Donne was traded to the Washington Mystics in 2017 in exchange for Stefanie Dolson, Kahleah Copper, and the second overall pick in the 2017 WNBA draft.
Currently, she is in the third year of her 4-year contract with the Washington Mystics, which includes an annual average salary of $224,870, as per spotrac.
This season, the forward put up excellent numbers for her team, averaging 16.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 0.8 steals.
Cover Photo: IG