May 13--Elena Delle Donne will repeat as the WNBA Most Valuable Player, but the Phoenix Mercury will win the championship, so says a consensus of the league's general managers in a preseason survey announced Friday.
Delle Donne earned 50 percent of the vote as the most likely followed by the Mercury's Diana Taurasi and Los Angeles Sparks' Candace Parker. Last year, Donne became the first Sky player to be named MVP, getting 38 of 39 first-place votes.
In this year's preseason survey, the GMs picked Taurasi (42 percent) as the player they would choose to take a shot with the game on the line.
Taurasi also was named best guard in the WNBA in the survey, and Delle Donne finished in a threeway tie for second. Connecticut Sun center Jonquel Jones drew the most ballots for rookie sleeper, and the Sky's Imani Boyette was one of four players to place third.
The regular season tips off Saturday, including the Sky's home opener against the Connecticut Sun at 7 p.m.
plthompson@tribpub.com
