Place of Birth: Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Date of Birth: September 5, 1989
Ethnicity: Italian (father)
Elena Delle Donne is an American professional basketball player.
She is the daughter of Joanie and Ernest F. “Ernie” Delle Donne. Elena’s surname is Italian for “of the women”.
Elena has stated:
My father is 100% Italian and I’m half-Italian.
Elena’s paternal grandparents were Eugene A. Delle Donne (the son of Ernest Delle Donne and Rosalinda “Rose” Mira) and Helen J. Calvarese (the daughter of Francis Calvarese and Josephine Di Menco). Eugene’s parents were Italian, from Olevano Romano, near Rome. Helen’s parents were also Italian, from Abruzzo.
Sources: Marriage record of Elena’s paternal grandparents, Eugene A. Delle Donne and Helen J. Calvarese – https://familysearch.org
Elena’s paternal grandfather, Eugene A. Delle Donne, on 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Photo by Debby Wong/Bigstock.com