Two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne is probable to make her return for the Washington Mystics on Friday against the Indiana Fever after missing nearly all of July and much of August with a left ankle sprain, the team announced Thursday.
Delle Donne has appeared in 15 contests for the Mystics this season, averaging 18.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. She was hoping this would be her first fully healthy season after dealing with back issues over the past three years that kept her off the court. She missed a handful of games after suffering an ankle sprain June 30 before making her return July 9, when she reinjured the same ankle early in a contest against the Connecticut Sun.
Despite being named an All-Star reserve, Delle Donne was unable to participate in the game in July. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert named Rhyne Howard as her replacement.
With so many experienced players returning, the Mystics had high expectations entering the season but have been without multiple key players this summer due to injuries. Ariel Atkins (ankle sprain), Shakira Austin (hip sprain) and Kristi Toliver (plantar fasciitis) have all missed at least a month.
Atkins, who was part of Washington's 2019 championship team and won a gold medal with Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics, is also listed as probable for Friday, having last played on July 11. Second-year pro Austin returned to the court Sunday for the first time since June 25, playing 14 minutes. She is listed as questionable for Friday. Two-time champion Toliver (also part of the 2019 Mystics title run) remains out, last appearing June 16.
The absences forced Washington (14-16) to tumble in the rankings and dip below .500. But the Mystics remain in the playoff picture at No. 7 in the standings, with the eighth-place Chicago Sky and ninth-place Los Angeles Sparks lurking two games back.