The Washington Mystics will start the second half of its regular season on Wednesday, and they may be without its top three players. Monday, the Mystics announced guard Ariel Atkins will be out for two weeks with a left ankle sprain. She will get re-evaluated in two weeks.
The Mystics will be without leading scorer and two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne, center Shakira Austin, and Atkins for the foreseeable future.
Delle Donne has been out since re-injuring her left ankle in a game on July 9. Washington says she is out for at least two weeks, which forced her to miss Sunday’s WNBA All-Star Game.
Austin has not played since June 25, when she injured her hip in an awkward fall during a steal attempt. Washington said she would be out three weeks before getting re-evaluated. Sunday marked three weeks, but there’s no word on her status.
Combined, the injured trio averages 41.2 points per game. Ariel Atkins accounts for 12.5 points. She is also the Mystics’ all-time leader in three-pointers.
The Mystics host the Indiana Fever on Wednesday. Washington is tied with the Atlanta Dream for fourth in the WNBA standings with an 11-8 record. Veteran forward Brittney Sykes expects to take the lead in scoring. She is second on the team with 13.1 points per game, but she is averaging 18.5 points since Austin’s injury last month.
