Mystics player Elena Delle steps away from WNBA to focus on her health and family

• She is an American basketball player for the Washington Mystics
• She did not sign a supermax offer with the Mystics
• She announced on taking a break from the sport for the entire season

Elena Delle is an American basketball player who plays for the Washington Mystics and recently announced that she will be taking a break from the sport for the entire season, to focus on her health and family.

She has been struggling with a condition known as chronic Lyme disease since her senior year in high school after being bitten by an infected tick, a condition that sometimes has symptoms of pain, fatigue or difficulty thinking.

Delle has vast experience in her basketball career and it has been successful since her high school years where she led her team to three consecutive state championships before committing to the University of Connecticut, but later transferred to the University of Delaware.

During this period, she also represented the United States on the national team winning a gold medal at the 2011 World University Games.

She was drafted by the Chicago Sky in the 2013 WNBA draft and was traded to the Washington Mystics in 2015, where she has been playing as a valuable player.

Elena Delle’s Biography

Elena Delle Donne was born on September 5, 1989, in Wilmington, Delaware. Her career began at high school where she played for the school team leading them to three consecutive state championships.

She has been struggling with a condition known as chronic Lyme disease since her senior year in high school after being bitten by an infected tick, a condition that sometimes has symptoms of pain, fatigue or difficulty thinking.

Elena Delle Donne. Photo/ESPN

Delle committed to play college basketball for the University of Connecticut but later transferred to the University of Delaware where she shuttered numerous records, becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer and earning numerous accolades, including three CAA Player of the Year awards and two-time All-American honors.

He also represented the United States on the national team and won a gold medal at the 2011 World University Games. The player was selected in the 2013 WNBA draft by the Chicago Bulls and in her rookie season, she led the team to the WNBA finals.

After playing for the Sky for two seasons, she was traded to the Washington Mystics and in her first season with the team, she won her WNBA MVP award. Her dominance continued with the Mystics leading them to their first WNBA championship.

She has been a valuable player for the team until February 2024 when she announced that she would be taking a break for the entire season, to focus on her health and family.

How will Delle’s absence affect the Mystics?

Delle is a prolific scorer and her absence leaves a significant scoring gap that the Mystics will need to fill. Her ability to shoot from anywhere on the court creates space for other players and opens up driving lanes.

Her absence could force the team to adjust their offensive scheme and potentially struggle with offensive and offensive flow. While not her primary strength, she is a versatile defender who can guard multiple positions and her absence could weaken the team’s overall defensive ability.

She has also proved to be a vocal leader on the team and her absence could affect them, especially the younger players’ morale. Overall, her absence could also affect the team’s ticket sales and brand recognition though the team also has other experienced players like Natasha Cloud and Ariel Atkins.

Reasons for Delle stepping away

While Delle has been the face of the Mystics, most fans will want to see her back on the court. However, there is no definite answer if she will be back after the 2024 season or not. This is because she didn’t state the duration of her break.

Elena Delle Donne. Photo/People

She mentioned needing time to focus on her health and family, leaving her future in basketball uncertain. She also declined the Mystics supermax offer though the team retains exclusive negotiation rights for a year. So, if she decides to play in 2025, the team has priority in retaining her.

Her health struggle with chronic Lyme disease might continue to influence her decision but it is not clear how it affects her play or future outlook.