From the deep dish of the Windy City to the half-smokes of the Nation’s Capital, Elena Delle Donne is bringing her superstardom to the East coast.

In a landmark trade that rocked the WNBA and shifted the league’s balance of power, former MVP Delle Donne found out she will now be wearing the same red, white and blue that other DC sports franchises such as the Wizards, Capitals and Nationals don. And, like John Wall, Alexander Ovechkin and Bryce Harper have done, she has to adjust to life as a star in Washington.

“It’s been an unreal day,” Delle Donne said during her introductory press conference at Verizon Center, a smile breaking across her face. “Right from the start, what a first-class organization this is. I got here, got off the elevator and there was like a tunnel of millions of people it seemed like … it truly feels like a family here.”

After an initial showering of welcomes on social media from other DC franchises and notable athletes, EDD got a chance to meet the Wizards’ Wall and said she hopes that it’s an ongoing relationship between their respective franchises.

“I met John and we took some pictures right before their shootaround … it was really sweet of him,” she said. “It seems like there’s a lot of support, so I’m excited to cheer them on and hope to see them at our games.”

The former WNBA scoring champ knows that talent on paper alone won’t get the Mystics to where they want to be, and she now has her new coach’s mantra to remind her of that.

“One of our philosophies here every day is to be better when you walk out the door than when you walked in – and if you do that every day, then you have a chance to be a better team,” coach Mike Thibault said.

The basketball will sort itself out in time. Chemistry will be made, friendships will be had, tendencies will be known. For now, it’s time for Delle Donne to just enjoy the fun and the ongoing love she’s getting from fans and athletes alike.

“I’m even more excited and I didn’t think that was possible. It just keeps getting better.”

You can watch the full press conference on Washington Mystics Facebook HERE.