Update: Delle Donne, along with Ariel Atkins, are both questionable for Game 3 of the WNBA Finals Sunday with back spasms.
An MRI Wednesday revealed league MVP Elena Delle Donne has a small disc herniation in her back, the Washington Mystics announced on Wednesday.
Delle Donne is undergoing treatment and was not ruled out for Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday. The team will provide an update on her condition and availability on Saturday.
Delle Donne left early in the first quarter of Game 2 with back spasms and did not return. Coach Mike Thibault said Delle Donne called for a substitute immediately after going up for a rebound.
“It’s the one nightmare I’ve had for the last month, is seeing her lying on her back,” Thibault said. “I watched that in 2015 when she was in Chicago, and it wasn’t a good sight for them, and it wasn’t a good sight for me now.”
The Connecticut Sun went on to beat Washington Tuesday 99-87, tying the series at 1-1.
It’s the second straight year Delle Donne was injured in the playoffs. Last year, a bone bruise in her knee caused her to miss some time during the semifinal round, and when she returned to the lineup, she was not quite herself.
She continues to play with a knee brace as well as a face mask after breaking her nose during the regular season, though both of those injuries have healed.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.