Basketball star Delle Donne hopes upcoming wedding can help others

NEW YORK WNBA player Elena Delle Donne has always tried to give back and help others. So it’s no surprise that her wedding to Amanda Clifton on Nov. 3 will have a charitable component to it.

The floral arrangements will be donated to nearby senior centres and women’s shelters, and the wedding registry will benefit Delle Donne’s foundation. Her foundation supports the Special Olympics and people with Lyme disease.

“The wedding isn’t just about us and our day,” the 28-year-old Delle Donne said. “It can also impact others and make them happy.”

Delle Donne and longtime girlfriend Clifton also hope that being a same-sex couple can help normalize it for others.

“That is the reason why I’m doing The Knot,” Delle Donne said. “I don’t want people to have to have these huge coming outs anymore. It should just be the norm. I love a woman. Or a man and a woman love each other. It should just be no big deal . ... I hope in people’s minds they just see it as two beautiful brides and move on. You don’t see enough of two brides or two grooms.”

The pair was selected by The Knot as the website’s Dream Couple this year. Details of the wedding are scarce, although the couple revealed they are getting married on Long Island.

“That’s all we can tell you, the rest is all secret,” said Delle Donne, laughing. “There are secrets that can’t be released.”

A star for Delaware in college, Delle Donne has been trying to get Pink to come to the wedding. Clifton is a diehard fan of the singer and Delle Donne thinks it would be the ultimate gift.

“If Pink is on TV, she is sitting and waiting for Pink to come on,” Delle Donne said. “It would be such a great gift to my beautiful wife to have Pink there.”

The couple met in Chicago when Delle Donne was playing for the WNBA’s Sky. Clifton helped run Delle Donne’s basketball academy and did most of the wedding planning while her partner played for the Washington Mystics this summer.