Amanda Clifton has worked with Elena Delle Donne since she was a rookie in the WNBA with the Washington Mystics.
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- 0.1 Amanda Clifton has worked with Elena Delle Donne since she was a rookie in the WNBA with the Washington Mystics.
- 0.2 She was also her rock during Donne’s battle with Lyme disease. Donne credits her wife for helping her stay strong during her health struggles and for helping her improve as an athlete.
- 1 Family of Amanda Clifton
- 2 Amanda Clifton’s Professional Career
- 3 The Marriage of Amanda Clifton and Elena Delle Donne
- 4 Donne and Clifton’s Stunning Wedding
She was also her rock during Donne’s battle with Lyme disease. Donne credits her wife for helping her stay strong during her health struggles and for helping her improve as an athlete.
Donne’s health is once again in the spotlight, as she was denied a medical exemption for this season despite being immunocompromised. Clifton is undoubtedly supporting her partner during this difficult time, which has piqued the Internet’s interest. As a result, we’ve created this Amanda Clifton wiki to cover everything about Elena Delle Donne’s ever-supportive wife.
Family of Amanda Clifton
Amanda Clifton was born in Davenport, Iowa on May 22, 1989, but raised in Rock Island, Illinois. She is one of three children born to Dennis and Eileen Clifton and was raised with her brothers, Josh and Marcus.
The Cliftons pride themselves on being a competitive family. Amanda grew up playing basketball with her brothers.
Clifton, like her mother, excelled in softball at Davenport’s St. Ambrose University. She also played basketball, softball, and volleyball at Rock Island Alleman Catholic. She attributes her interest in sports to her mother’s encouragement.
Amanda Clifton admitted that she felt most at ease playing when her mother was in the stands.
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Amanda Clifton’s Professional Career
Clifton has played basketball since she was in high school. During her junior and senior years, she served as team captain. Clifton was named MVP each of his four years and holds numerous school records.
She went on to play basketball and major in business at Illinois State University. Her assists and steals per game numbers could be comparable to those of Elena Delle Donne, who played for the University of Delaware.
Amanda Clifton had earned All-MVC Honorable Mention and MVC All-Defensive Team selection by her senior year in the 2010-11 season, as well as team MVP honors and the Hustle and Jill Hutchison Leadership awards.
“Amanda is above and beyond what is common and ordinary,” said her coach, Stephanie Glance. “She has excelled not only as a vocal leader but also as a leader who sets an example of intensity and work ethic every day.”
Clifton did not go on to play professionally in the WNBA like Donne. She is still involved in the sport as the director of De11e Donne Academy, which collaborates with the Special Olympics and hosts clinics to help young girls on and off the court.
The Marriage of Amanda Clifton and Elena Delle Donne
Meghan McLean, Donne’s friend, and then-personal assistant introduced Clifton and Donne in June 2013, when the latter was a WNBA rookie with the Chicago Sky. McLean was new to Chicago and ended up befriending Clifton’s best friend there in an attempt to make friends.
That’s how she met Clifton and realized she’d be the ideal match for Donne. Donne looked up Clifton on Instagram after some prodding from McLean, and Clifton also looked up the rookie basketball player. Both agreed with the other.
Friends arranged for them to meet at an Evanston pub. Though Clifton immediately commented on Donne’s 6’5″ frame, they hit it off right away and bonded over their shared love of basketball and pets.
A year into their relationship, they introduced each other to their families and moved in together.
Clifton assisted Donne during a particularly severe Lyme disease flare-up. Clifton proposed to her on June 2, 2016, after her girlfriend’s condition had improved, with a little help from one of their beloved dogs. Donne then made her proposal a few weeks later at a lavish dinner.
As their relationship developed, they informed their family, friends, and teammates. They did not make any public statements, however, until Donne officially announced their engagement.
Elena Delle Donne first revealed her engagement to Amanda Clifton in a Vogue cover story in 2016.
When Donne signed with the Washington Mystics, the couple relocated to Virginia. Soon after, The Knot offered to pay for their wedding in exchange for an exclusive.
Donne and Clifton’s Stunning Wedding
Donne and Clifton married four years after they met on November 3, 2017. The Knot live-streamed the couple’s stunning Long Island wedding.
Their matchmakers were bridesmaids, and the officiant was Donne’s agent. The majority of Donne’s teammates attended, as did BET co-founder and Mystics president Sheila Johnson and WNBA president Lisa Borders.
Guests were encouraged to donate to the Elena Delle Donne Foundation, which supports special needs programming and research into Lyme disease. While Donne battled Lyme disease in public, she is also a caregiver for her special needs sister.
