FILE PHOTO: Sep 29, 2019; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne (11) looks on during the second half against the Connecticut Sun in game one of the 2019 WNBA Finals at The Entertainment and Sports Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
October 5, 2019
(Reuters) – The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Finals head into Game Three on Sunday with an air of uncertainty, as it remains unclear whether the sport’s brightest star will play in the matchup between the Connecticut Sun and Washington Mystics.
Elena Delle Donne, the Mystics’ star forward and league MVP, scored a team-high 22 points in Game One but left Game Two with back spasms and was later diagnosed with a herniated disk.
The Mystics, who have never won a league title and came into this series as heavy favorites, listed Delle Donne as “questionable” in an injury report on Saturday. A team spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.
Coach Mike Thibault said on Thursday he was optimistic his team could pull together, even without Delle Donne’s presence on the court, but acknowledged the 30-year-old first-round draft pick would be “a huge weapon out of the lineup if she doesn’t play”.
The Mystics and Sun are tied 1-1 in the series and play on Sunday in Connecticut.
(Reporting By Amy Tennery, editing by Ed Osmond)
