She will not play in the All-Star Game as a result.
On Monday, the Washington Mystics announced that forward Elena Delle Donne will be out for the next two weeks due to a left ankle sprain. The injury was sustained on July 9 during their loss to the Connecticut Sun.
Injury Update:
⁰
Elena Delle Donne suffered a left ankle sprain during the game on July 9 against the Connecticut Sun.
⁰
She will be out the next two weeks and will be reevaluated at that time to better determine her return to play timeline.— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) July 10, 2023
The WNBA All-Star Game is on Saturday, July 15 with Delle Donne being named a reserve. Now, she will not be playing in the game, but health is more important at this point in the regular season and her career.
An injury replacement has yet to be named, but it’s unclear whether a Mystics player would replace Delle Donne. Shakira Austin was the other frontcourt player deserving of a spot but she is out due to a hip injury. Natasha Cloud or Ariel Atkins could also be named but they don’t play forward.
But back to the main point: Delle Donne’s absence will hurt the Mystics over the next several weeks, even with the All-Star Break coming up this weekend. She is the Mystics’ leading scorer at 18.1 points per game. Sure, having an elite defense will keep games close, but their team offense has held them back from making a run at a Top-3 seed instead of barely holding onto the fourth.