Delle Donne unanimous choice for WNBA first team

Oct 8, 2015 - 10:31 PM Elena Delle Donne continues to rack up honors in the WNBA.

The MVP was a unanimous choice for the WNBA's first team in voting announced Thursday. It's the first time in her young career that Delle Donne has been chosen as one of the best five players in the WNBA.

''It's an awesome honor to be named amongst such incredible players. It was a fun season and I think it reflects a really great season,'' said Delle Donne while training with USA Basketball in Europe. ''Unfortunately we didn't get where we wanted to be, but there is a lot to improve upon, so that's exciting as well.''

She averaged 23.4 points, scoring at least 40 twice. The Chicago Sky star shot 95 percent from the free throw line and finished third in the WNBA in rebounding. Delle Donne received 39 first team votes from a national panel of writers and broadcasters.

Joining her on the first team were Maya Moore of Minnesota, Tina Charles of New York, DeWanna Bonner of Phoenix and Angel McCoughtry of Atlanta.

The second team was headlined by Brittney Griner, who missed the first seven games of the season while serving a suspension for a domestic violence arrest. Other members of the second team include Candace Parker of Los Angeles, Tamika Catchings of Indiana, Epiphanny Prince of New York and Courtney Vandersloot of Chicago.

Parker sat out the first half of the season to rest her body and Prince missed the first 10 games of the season playing for Russia in an Olympic qualifier.

Catchings was honored for the 12th time in her career. She didn't make it last season or in 2008 when she was injured.

''At this stage of my career to be among the 10 best players in the league is a blessing,'' Catchings said.

Each player receives a trophy and first team members are awarded $10,000. Second team players receive a $5,000 bonus.