My Shot: Balancing It All and Standing Tall

My Shot: Balancing It All and Standing Tall

Elena Delle Donne, 2015 WNBA MVP and 2016 Olympic gold medalist, shares her inspirational story of being a young basketball prodigy who gave up an impressive basketball scholarship for family and self-discovery. Elena Delle Donne has always forged her own path. During her first year of college, she walked away from a scholarship and chance to play for Geno Aurriema at UConn—the most prestigious women’s college basketball program—so she could stay in her home state of Delaware and be close to her older sister, Lizzie, who has several disabilities and can only communicate through hand-over-hand signing. Burned out and questioning her passion for basketball, she attended the University of Delaware and took up volleyball for a year. Eventually she found her way back to her first love, playing basketball for the Blue Hens, ultimately leading them, a mid-major team, to the Sweet Sixteen. She went on to become the second overall selection during the 2013 WNBA draft and the WNBA’s 2015 MVP. Elena Delle Donne delivers a powerful and motivational story of overcoming the challenges of competitive sports through balancing hard work and the support of a loving family. "Inspiring in many ways, this will be meat and potatoes to girls with their own basketball aspirations." ― Kirkus Reviews "Elena Delle Donne is one of the great role models in sports today. She's a terrific athlete who has written a wonderful book that is riveting, compelling and honest. Elena's story is an inspiration to anyone who loves and plays sports." -- Christine Brennan, USA Today sports columnist, CNN and ABC News commentator, best-selling author “Elena is one of the brightest stars in our game today and an iconic role model. My Shot reveals not only her competitive spirit, but most importantly her character and commitment to her craft. This relatable story will provide inspiration to young athletes everywhere, regardless of sport.” ― Lisa M. Borders, WNBA President "Sports lovers, especially girls, will find an encouraging story of a sports celebrity who was able to deal with the challenges that came her way." ― VOYA "The difficulties she’s experienced—a best friend’s suicide, chronic Lyme disease, stress, injuries, team defeats, bad press—make her heartfelt advice to young people powerful and true." ― Booklist “Ahh, I love how candid and real Elena is in this book. No, everything is not perfect and she gives so many wonderful insights on how much pressure we put on ourselves as young women and equally important, how to deal with that pressure in a healthy and positive way. Because when you lose the idea of making everyone else happy, you begin the joyful process of living life courageously.” -- Julie Foudy, Two-time FIFA World Cup Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist "Sports-minded teens will devour this fast-paced narrative." ― School Library Journal Elena Delle Donne has been a professional women’s basketball player since 2013, when she was selected by the Chicago Sky second overall in the WNBA draft. She was the 2015 WNBA MVP and won the gold medal with the USA’s women’s basketball team in the 2016 Olympics. She is the global ambassador for the Special Olympics and became the first national ambassador for the Lyme Research Alliance. Elena also plays host to De11e Donne Academy, a basketball camp that runs throughout the year, where she mentors and coaches girls ages seven to eighteen. She now plays for the Washington, DC, Mystics. Sarah Durand is a New York Times bestselling collaborator who works with celebrities, beauty and wellness experts, professional athletes, CEOs, and women with a mission. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and two daughters. My Shot Chapter One Home The thing about being different is that you don’t really realize you are until someone points it out to you. My mom is 6'2" and my dad is 6'6", so I can’t remember a time when they weren’t ducking to get through doorways or smiling at silly, obvious comments like, “Boy, you’re so tall!” They always towered above other people, but when I was little, that seemed normal because they were my family. And my family was my whole world. I was born in late 1989 in the suburbs of Wilmington, Delaware. I was the third of three kids, below my brother, Gene, and my sister, Lizzie. Gene is three years older than me, and he’s always been a goofball. Nothing was ever too serious for him to laugh at. Even when he played high school basketball at Salesianum School, an all-boys Catholic school, and people taunted him at the free throw line by saying, “Your sister’s a better player than you!” Gene would just smile. Nothing rattled him. Sometimes he’d miss the shot (I actually was better than him!), but he didn’t care. His goal in life was to make others around him happy, so he never pitied himself. I sometimes wonder if he decided at a very young age to be optimistic and never let anything drag him down, because of Lizzie. Gene is th