Restricted free agent Elena Delle Donne hopes to play for new team

Chicago Sky forward Elena Delle Donne is ready to sit out the 2017 season to force a move to another team, according to VICE Sports.

Delle Donne, the 2015 WNBA MVP and former Rookie of the Year, is a restricted free agent this offseason. The three-time All-Star indicated she would be willing to change teams on the Locked on Women's Basketball podcast.

"Some things will be moving forward for me," Delle Donne said on the podcast. "I've loved playing with my teammates. There's a great group of young women there. And hopefully with [new Sky coach] Amber [Stocks] and a new system, it'll be great for them. But for me, wherever I end up, I'll be ready to play basketball."

The Sky did not immediately return requests for comment from ESPN.

Delle Donne averaged 21.5 points per game last season as the Sky reached the WNBA semifinals, and former coach and general manager Pokey Chatman was fired after an 18-16 campaign.

Stocks, a former assistant with the Los Angeles Sparks, had little to say about Delle Donne during her introductory news conference, according to VICE.

Sky owner Michael Alter also avoided speculation about a contract extension for Delle Donne, who has led Chicago in scoring since joining the team as the No. 2 pick in the 2013 draft.

"Free agency starts in January, and I think part of that process is -- this is with every player, not just Elena, who's a restricted free agent -- is a conversation about what our plans are," Alter told VICE, "and finding out who is committed to what we're doing and who will embrace what we're doing and who wants to be here."

The Sky can match any offer made by another team in free agency, but according to VICE, Delle Donne won't rule out missing the 2017 season should Chicago try to block a move with a qualifying offer. The Washington Mystics, who finished 13-21 last season, are a potential destination for Delle Donne, whose family lives in the area.

"I don't want to have to sit out," she told VICE. "I want to play the game I love, the game I work so hard on. So hopefully that doesn't have to occur in my future."