Healthy Delle Donne contributing on both offense and defense during Mystics’ strong start

The only thing that’s ever really stopped Elena Delle Donne is her health - particularly her balky back.

That doesn’t appear to be much of an issue this year.

The two-time WNBA MVP has missed only one game so far this season, helping the Washington Mystics to a solid start. Delle Donne is averaging 18.4 points, her best scoring output since 2019, when she led the Mystics to their first league championship.

“We’ve asked a lot of her to start the season, and she’s handled it great,” coach Eric Thibault said.

Delle Donne won her second MVP in 2019. Back problems and coronavirus concerns limited her to three games over the following two seasons. She returned last season but played in only 25 of the team’s 36 games, although that was enough for the Mystics to make the playoffs comfortably.

This year, Delle Donne showed right away the team could count on her, playing more than 30 minutes in each of the first six games. At age 33, she’s averaging 31.1 minutes, her most since 2018. She is shooting 47.5% from the field, 42% from 3-point range and 95% on free throws - all pretty close to her career numbers.

In other words, Delle Donne is giving the Mystics the type of production they’ve come to expect from their 6-foot-5 star. And she’s missed only one game because of neck tightness.

Instead, it’s been others around her dealing with injuries lately. When Washington hosted Phoenix last week, teammate Natasha Cloud was out with an ankle problem, and Shakira Austin didn’t play in the second half because of a knee injury. The Mercury were without Brittney Griner (hip) and Diana Taurasi (hamstring). Delle Donne scored 17 points in the 88-69 win Friday.

On Sunday, Delle Donne showed how she can affect the game in so many different ways. She shot just 5 of 15 from the field but attempted a season-high nine free throws, making all of them. Washington beat the Chicago Sky 77-69.

“It seems like we’re starting to find that groove, we’re starting to get used to the different groups we’re in with and starting to read each other,” Delle Donne said after that win, which improved the Mystics’ record to 7-4. “Even if shots aren’t falling, things like that, if we can get to the rim and attack, it keeps pressure on teams and we know the rest will come.”

Although Delle Donne’s offensive efficiency is well documented, she’s worked hard to make an impact at the other end of the floor. The Mystics rank second in the league in defensive rating.

It’s an element of Delle Donne’s game that might not get as much credit because she’s such a prolific shooter.

“I think her defense is a little underrated at times. Sometimes, that’s her length in blocking shots, but on a night like tonight, I thought she did a fantastic job talking her teammates through coverages,” Thibault said Sunday. “That’s an area where she’s really taken a leap is just, how she perceives the whole game defensively.”

The Mystics enter Thursday night’s matchup at Chicago a half-game behind New York for the league’s third-best record. They’ve won four of their last five, and with fewer questions about Delle Donne’s availability, Washington can feel good about the identity the team has established of late.

“Defense wins games. We’ve got a great team, plays great defense night in and night out. I know that that can be a consistent thing that I do every single game,” Delle Donne said. “Some nights, shots aren’t going to fall. Some days it might feel off. But you can always talk through schemes, be there for the guards, help one another, rebound. All those things are the control-ables, and that’s how you win games.”