Elena Delle Donne and Tina Charles did not travel with the Washington Mystics to Bradenton, Florida for training camp for the WNBA season. Both players have entered the league’s medical evaluation protocol and are seeking medical excuses from the upcoming season by an independent medical panel.
Delle Donne has Lyme Disease. She elaborated on Twitter how she is high risk for complications from the COVID-19 virus.
If Delle Donne and Charles are granted medical excuses, they will be paid their full salaries despite not playing this season.
Both player’s absences would be a major blow to the Mystics’ chances of repeating as WNBA champions. Delle Donne was the 2019 WNBA MVP, averaging 19.5 points and 8.2 rebounds. She shot 51.5% from the field, including 43.0% from three. She also shot 97.4% from the free-throw line, becoming the first player in league history to join the 50/40/90 club.
The Mystics acquired Charles in April in a trade with the New York Liberty. The seven-time All-Star was set to give the Mystics a formidable Big Three alongside Delle Donne and 2019 WNBA Finals MVP Emma Meesseman. She averaged 16.9 points and 7.5 rebounds last season.
Washington is already going to be without starting point guard Natasha Cloud and forward LaToya Sanders. Both players opted out of playing the upcoming season. Cloud chose not to play to continue advocating for social reform.
