Ex-stars Parker, Delle Donne: WNBA has to protect players better - ESPN

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — As they prepare to be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, two-time WNBA MVPs Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne and four-time championship-winning coach Cheryl Reeve spoke Friday about what progress has been made in the league's officiating and style of play — and what still needs to get better.

Speaking one day after the WNBA suspended Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas for her hit on the Fever's Caitlin Clark, Parker, Delle Donne and Reeve agreed the league needs to do a better job protecting its players and cracking down on excessive contact.

Parker and Delle Donne, who finished their playing careers in 2023, said they both took a lot of contact as post players who moved around the court like guards.

«The physicality has always been there,» said Parker, who won WNBA titles with Los Angeles (2016), Chicago (2021) and Las Vegas (2023). «It's just now you're having more visibility and new fans and new opinions coming into the game. Because we went through [so much physicality], does not mean that I think that [it has to be that way].»

Delle Donne, who battled back issues throughout her career but especially over the last five years of playing, said she would have much preferred more freedom of movement.

«Trust me, my back wishes I had had a little more of that,» said Delle Donne, who played for Chicago and Washington, winning a WNBA title with the Mystics in 2019. «It's more fun to watch, and there are such skilled players out there. We want to see them do what they can do. We don't want to just see them get beat up.

»Yeah, we're seeing a lot of free throws [this season] and we've got to get through this learning period of, 'OK, we can't crush each other anymore. Let's play