CHICAGO — In Chicago, basketball is the sport. It’s important. There’s an identity connected with it.“As much of a tradition of baseball (is) here, as much of a tradition of track, as much as a tradition of football here … basketball kind of cuts through all of those things,” said longtime Chicago sports broadcaster Laurence Holmes. “It’s local. It’s your block. It’s your side of the city.”We often hear about men’s hoopers from the Chi, but the women have a strong legacy in the city as well. From preps to college to pros. Chicago’s love for those who excel on the hardwood is for everyone, native or not.This weekend, two of the women who excelled the most, Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne, will take their place among the sport’s greats when they are enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. In different ways, both have Chicago to thank for sparking that journey.After just two days at UConn with coaching legend Geno Auriemma’s program in 2008, Delle Donne made headlines when she decided to leave her scholarship, return home and enroll at the University of Delaware. The decision to walk away from basketball didn’t last long — Delle Donne joined the Blue Hens in 2009.Watch This: Rhyne Howard becomes quickest to 100 3-pointers in a seasonThe Chicago Sky drafted Delle Donne with the second pick in the 2013 draft. Though she wasn’t raised in the area, and her game wasn’t forged in a Chicago park, Delle Donne immediately became a part of the city’s pro basketball story. She embraced the city’s culture right away and was a Michael Jordan fan, siding with the Bulls legend in the GOAT debate. Delle Donne started her career with the Sky and left her mark during her short time with the team.Before becoming the WNBA’s first player to shoot at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3 and 90 percent on free throws with the Washington Mystics, Delle Donne became the first (and only) player in Sky history to win league MVP honors. Despite last suiting up for Chicago a decade ago, she remains the franchise’s all-time leader in scoring average (20.5), player efficiency rating (28.2), 20-point games, 30-point outings and the owner of the Sky’s only two 40-point performances. She also ranks fourth in 3-point percentage (38.1), fifth in points and 10th in rebounds. Chicago posted the WNBA’s fourth-best record during Delle Donne’s four seasons, peaking with its first WNBA Finals appearance in 2014.“I know it was the first time a lot of girls knew there was a WNBA team in Chicago,” said Karli Bell, a journalist who previously covered the Sky. “I was there for their inaugural season and went to a couple games after that, but (Delle Donne’s first) season is when a lot of people found out that a team existed here.