Washington Mystics

Longtime Washington Mystics head coach and general manager Mike Thibault will not walk the sidelines next season.

According to The Athletic, Thibault has retired from coaching but will remain with the franchise as GM. His son Eric, who has been an assistant on Mike's coaching staff for their entire 10-year run with Washington, has been elevated to head coach.

Mike Thibault is the winningest coach in WNBA history with a record of 379-289.

After being hired as head coach and GM in December 2012, Thibault led Washington to eight playoff appearances and the WNBA championship in 2019. The 72-year-old also coached the Connecticut Sun for 10 seasons prior to joining the Mystics and was named WNBA Coach of the Year three times (2006, 2008, 2013).

"I am proud to have been the Head Coach of the Washington Mystics the past 10 years. After 55 years in coaching (the last 20 in the WNBA), I feel like it is time to turn this team over to Eric and his coaching staff on the court. He is ready and prepared for it," Thibault stated.

Eric Thibault has spent the last four seasons as associate head coach. While working under his father, the 35-year-old handled player development duties with an emphasis on guards.

In addition to Eric Thibault's promotion to head coach, assistant general manager Maria Giovannetti was also named senior vice president of strategy and vision.

"I am looking forward to my continued role as GM, working together with the incredible energy that Maria, Eric and the rest of the staff bring in order to continue our pursuit of another WNBA Championship," Mike Thibault stated. "Maria will take on an even greater role in the development of our team on and off the court. Needless to say, we have an important off-season ahead."

Thibault was an assistant coach under Cheryl Reeve for Team USA during the 2022 FIBA Women's World Cup in Sydney, helping lead the squad to its fourth straight title. He was also on the staff that coached Team USA to the women's gold medal in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

The Mystics finished 22-14 last season and fell to the Seattle Storm in the first round of the playoffs.

The Atlanta Dream have shaken up the first round of the 2022 WNBA draft.

The team announced Wednesday it acquired the No. 1 overall pick from the Washington Mystics in return for the No. 3 and 14 picks in this year's draft. The Mystics will also have the opportunity to swap first-rounders with what was the Los Angeles Sparks' 2023 first-round pick, which went to Atlanta in the Erica Wheeler trade.

The No. 1 Draft pick is headed to the 🅰️‼️ #DoItForTheDream pic.twitter.com/sJqOtGwW9Q

— Atlanta Dream (@AtlantaDream) April 6, 2022

The Dream must covet Baylor's NaLyssa Smith or Kentucky's Rhyne Howard, who are widely considered the two best players in the 2022 draft class.

Smith averaged 22.1 points and was one of the country's best rebounders. She collected 11.5 boards per game and ranked 50th in total rebounding rate, per Her Hoop Stats. Howard is a more natural scorer, averaging 20.5 points and shooting 38.3 percent on three-pointers in her senior year with the Wildcats.

Had Atlanta stayed at No. 3, there's little chance Smith or Howard would still have been available.

The Dream are a bit of a blank slate under general manager Dan Padover, who was hired last October. They didn't make any significant moves in free agency, and their biggest transaction was sending Chennedy Carter to the Los Angeles Sparks.

With only four players under contract in 2023, Padover seems to be laying the foundation for the future. To that end, either Smith or Howard would make sense.

Elizabeth Williams signed with the Mystics, so Howard would serve as a long-term replacement for the 2017 All-Star. The departures of Carter and Courtney Williams created the need for a scorer, though, and the 6'2" Howard would add size in the backcourt next to the 5'6" Aari McDonald.

Dream fans might have felt a little underwhelmed this offseason because hiring Padover, a two-time WNBA Executive of the Year, certainly sent a message. After winning 23 games over the past three years, the franchise is tired of irrelevancy.

Between having the No. 1 pick in 2022 and a ton of salary cap space in 2023, big things could be coming for Atlanta over the next few years. 

Elena Delle Donne's status for the remainder of the 2021 WNBA season is in doubt because of nerve pain in her back.

Washington Mystics head coach Mike Thibault told reporters Thursday the six-time All-Star is experiencing problems stemming from the back surgeries that already kept her out for a majority of the year.

Delle Donne has played 52 minutes over three games in 2021, her first action since 2019 after she opted out of the shortened 2020 campaign at IMG Academy in Florida.

With one of their best players out for a significant stretch, the Mystics sit ninth in the WNBA, a half-game behind the New York Liberty for the final playoff berth. It looked like Delle Donne's return would give Washington the shot in the arm it needed to move comfortably into the top eight.

Now the 2019 WNBA champions could be in serious jeopardy of missing the postseason. They have four games left in the regular season to turn the tide, and even if they qualify for the playoffs, a Delle Donne-less Mystics may be headed for an early exit.

The concern for the 32-year-old, meanwhile, extends beyond 2021. Her long layoff and recent flare-up show how troublesome back injuries can be and illustrate there aren't always straightforward solutions to the issue.

In 2019, Delle Donne became the first WNBA player ever to join the 50/40/90 club en route to winning MVP, and her 6.19 offensive win shares were the 16th-most in a single season. Recapturing that form may not be easy.

Washington Mystics star Elena Delle Donne credited Los Angeles Lakers star Russell Westbrook with helping her through her recovery from multiple back surgeries.

Delle Donne told reporters Monday the now-former Washington Wizards guard "was one of my biggest helps through this."

"He would show up and it would just bring me out of a funk and be like, 'I got this, like I can keep doing this,' he believes in me," she said.

Elena Delle Donne says Russell Westbrook was “one of her biggest helps” during her rehab from injury: “Russ would come in, way too early on a game day even, and he would come in and rebound for me”

Real one 🙏 pic.twitter.com/drDX97QAcA

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 9, 2021

Delle Donne has yet to play this season after having opted out of the WNBA's 2020 campaign at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, because of concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She acknowledged the recovery process from her back procedures has been difficult, calling it "something where there's a lot of gray."

"As many times as I want that black-and-white answer, it hasn't been that way," the two-time MVP told reporters. "There's been a lot of confusion. But I've had incredible people around me to help me on those tough days. And I realize we are so lucky when we get to play this game that we love, and to enjoy every second of it."

The Mystics have been without their biggest addition of the offseason as well after Alysha Clark suffered a Lisfranc injury. As a result, Washington is 8-10 and occupying the eighth and final playoff spot in the WNBA, a significant departure from winning 26 games and claiming a WNBA title in 2019.

Getting Delle Donne back after the All-Star break would be a nice shot in the arm for Washington, though it remains to be seen whether she can immediate replicate the standard she set during her second MVP campaign.

The 31-year-old was the first WNBA player to enter the 50/40/90 club, shooting 51.5 percent from the field, 43.0 percent from three-point range and 97.4 percent from the charity stripe. By having something close to that version of Delle Donne in the lineup, the Mystics could begin to peak at just the right time ahead of the playoffs.

While Washington Mystics star Elena Delle Donne did not receive the medical exemption for the 2020 WNBA season from the league that she expected amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the team says she will be paid her full salary even if she misses the season. 

Mechelle Voepel of ESPN reported Mystics coach and general manager Mike Thibault said Delle Donne is on the roster and would be paid her salary even while she rehabs from the back surgery she underwent in January.

"Thibault seemed somewhat perplexed as to why Delle Donne gave the impression, though, that she had to choose between playing this season and getting paid," Voepel wrote. "He said that is not the case."

Delle Donne thought she would be classified as high risk amid the pandemic because she has Lyme disease.

Despite Thibau's comments, Delle Donne's agent, Erin Kane, said she and her client are still concerned about the possibility of the Mystics asking her to rehab at their training facility—and increasing her potential exposure to COVID-19—or the team asking her to join the WNBA bubble in Bradenton, Florida, if it eventually thinks she is healthy enough to take the court.

Per Voepel, Thibault did say the team could decide at a later point that Delle Donne should join the team in Florida.

"If at some point, later in the season, we are all comfortable enough with both her physical progress and the safety of joining the team in Florida, then we will make those arrangements," he said. "If we don't feel that, then she will continue to do her workouts in D.C. and get herself ready for the following season. Her long-term care and health as a major foundation piece of the Mystics will always take precedence."

Delle Donne wrote about the WNBA's decision, Lyme disease, her treatment regimen and the risks she faces for The Players' Tribune on Wednesday.

"I've been told time and time again over the years that my condition makes me immunocompromised—that part of what Lyme does is it debilitates my immune system," she wrote. "... And so when I read that immunocompromised people are at a higher risk with COVID, I took every possible precaution. (Which, by the way, I realize is a huge privilege I have that most people don't.) I treated COVID like any high-risk person should: as a matter of life and death. ... I still wanted to play, but I was scared. I talked to my personal physician about what the league planned to do, and he felt it was still too risky."

She also spoke on SportsCenter and said she hoped her status as one of the faces of the league didn't contribute to the decision to deny her medical exemption (h/t Voepel):

"I'm not sure, and I really hope it didn't. I hope they would treat me as 'Player X' and they see that I've been treated for something for nine years. They've seen my bloodwork; I've submitted everything.

"So I really hope that wasn't the reason why this happened. I hope it's doctors just still being unaware of Lyme disease and not having Lyme-literate doctors on that panel, because I don't want to believe that's what happened. Unfortunately, it might be what happened."

I can’t imagine being in the position of @De11eDonne . But her transparency and authenticity and vulnerability are so evident here and I hope the @WNBA does the right thing here. Thank you for sharing your story w/ us. pic.twitter.com/soRMEdrbgR

— Elle Duncan (@elleduncanESPN) July 15, 2020

Delle Donne is a two-time WNBA MVP and six-time All-Star who led the Mystics to a championship last season.

Her team will look to repeat during a shortened 22-game regular season at IMG Academy.

Washington's first game is July 25 against the Indiana Fever.

After her request to opt out of the 2020 WNBA season for medical reasons was denied, Washington Mystics star Elena Delle Donne has opened up about her longstanding health issues.

In an open letter on the Players' Tribune, Delle Donne wrote that she has to take 64 pills a day to combat Lyme disease:

"That's 25 before breakfast, another 20 after breakfast, another 10 before dinner, and another 9 before bed.

"I take 64 pills a day, and I feel like it's slowly killing me. Or if it's not killing me, directly, then I at least know one thing for sure: It's really bad for me. Longterm, taking that much medicine on that regular of a regimen is just straight-up bad for you. It's literally an elaborate trick that you play on yourself — a lie that you tell your body so it keeps thinking everything is fine."

In a statement released to ESPN's John Barr and Sarah Spain, Delle Donne said a panel of independent physicians denied the six-time All-Star's request to sit out this season:

"The independent panel of doctors the league appointed to review high-risk cases have advised that I'm not high risk, and should be permitted to play in the bubble.

"I love my team, and we had an unbelievable season last year, and I want to play! But the question is whether or not the WNBA bubble is safe for me. My personal physician who has treated me for Lyme disease for years advised me that I'm at high risk for contracting and having complications from COVID-19.

"I'm thinking things over, talking to my doctor and my wife, and look forward to sharing what I ultimately plan to do very soon."

I can’t imagine being in the position of @De11eDonne . But her transparency and authenticity and vulnerability are so evident here and I hope the @WNBA does the right thing here. Thank you for sharing your story w/ us. pic.twitter.com/soRMEdrbgR

— Elle Duncan (@elleduncanESPN) July 15, 2020

Delle Donne told Patricia Babcock McGraw of the Daily Herald in 2014 that she was diagnosed with Lyme disease six years earlier.

Barr and Spain noted that Lyme disease isn't among the list of underlying conditions from the Centers for Disease Control that could make someone a higher risk for severe illness from the coronavirus.

Delle Donne wrote that that the number of pills she takes each day "is the only way to keep my condition under any sort of control" and that she's had serious issues in the past from illnesses like a common cold:

"I've been told time and time again over the years that my condition makes me immunocompromised — that part of what Lyme does is it debilitates my immune system. I've had a common cold that sent my immune system spiraling into a serious relapse. I've relapsed off of a simple flu shot. There's just been so many instances where I've contracted something that shouldn't have been that big of a deal, but it blew my immune system out and turned into something scary."

She also noted that the doctor who treats her disease gave the WNBA's independent panel a full report about the health risks:

"The doctor who treats my Lyme disease wrote up a full report, detailing my medical history and confirming my high-risk status. The Mystics team doctor (who is awesome, but who’s never treated my Lyme disease) wrote a report essentially deferring to my Lyme disease doctor, and agreeing about my high risk profile. I filed both reports to the league, as required, along with a signed form waiving my right to an appeal.

"A few days later, the league’s panel of doctors—without ever once speaking to me or to either of my doctors—informed me that they were denying my request for a health exemption.

"I’m now left with two choices: I can either risk my life…..or forfeit my paycheck.

"Honestly? That hurts.

"It hurts a lot. And maybe being hurt just makes me naive. And I know that, as athletes, we’re not really supposed to talk about our feelings. But feelings are pretty much all I have left right now. I don’t have NBA player money. I don’t have the desire to go to war with the league on this. And I can’t appeal."

The two-time WNBA MVP noted her letter wasn't intended to announce a decision about her plans, as she's "still thinking very carefully and weighing my options."

All 12 WNBA teams are currently at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where the 22-game regular season and full postseason will be held.

The 2020 regular season is scheduled to begin July 25. The reigning WNBA champion Mystics will play the Indiana Fever on opening day at 5 p.m. ET.

Washington Mystics star Elena Delle Donne was denied a medical request to opt out of the WNBA's 2020 season.  

"The independent panel of doctors the league appointed to review high-risk cases have advised that I'm not high risk, and should be permitted to play in the bubble,"  Delle Donne said, per ESPN's John Barr and Sarah Spain.

Delle Donne, who suffers from Lyme disease, said her personal physician "advised me that I'm at high risk for contracting and having complications from COVID-19."

The WNBA will tip off play on July 25 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Much like the NBA and MLS, the league temporarily moved its operations to Florida amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

ESPN's Mechelle Voepel reported in June that players could opt out and receive their full 2020 salary if they were deemed to be at an increased health risk by participating in the shortened season. Otherwise, the player would have to forgo her pay.

According to High Post Hoops' Howard Megdal, Delle Donne is set to earn $215,000 this year after signing an extension with the Mystics in February.

The 30-year-old is the reigning MVP and the driving force in Washington's 2019 championship run. She averaged 19.5 points and 8.2 rebounds and was the first player in WNBA history to join the 50/40/90 club. She shot 51.5 percent from the field, 43.0 percent from beyond the arc and 97.4 percent from the charity stripe.

Erin Kane, Delle Donne's agent, told Barr and Spain the medical panel's decision is final, so Delle Donne doesn't have a mechanism to appeal. Kane added that the six-time All-Star could still potentially opt out nonetheless.

The Mystics are facing a scenario in which they could be without their best player, as well as their biggest offseason acquisition as they attempt to defend their WNBA title. Tina Charles didn't travel to Florida, either, as she awaits the panel's ruling.

Natasha Cloud and LaToya Sanders chose to sit out the season, as well. Washington was at least able to sign Essence Carson, Alaina Coates and Shey Peddy to account for the losses of Cloud and Sanders.

Barr and Spain noted Washington would be unable to bring in reinforcements for Delle Donne and Charles, assuming they're both unavailable.

Washington Mystics guard-forward Elena Delle Donne and center Tina Charles have entered the WNBA's medical evaluation protocol and did not travel with the team to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, for the league's scheduled 22-game season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, per Ava Wallace of the Washington Post.

Per a Mystics team statement, "an update on their status will be given when their evaluations are finalized."

The reasoning for Delle Donne and Charles entering the medical evaluation protocol had not been made public, but Delle Donne soon followed up on the team's statement:

Many of you know about my ongoing battle with Lyme Disease, and a compromised immune system. For now I'm following protocol and waiting for a risk assessment from the league medical panel. Missing my teammates but health and safety are the priority 🙏 https://t.co/3oChtiaqXJ

— Elena Delle Donne (@De11eDonne) July 8, 2020

The WNBA had previously laid out plans for medical screening prior to teams traveling to Florida for the season, however. Michele Voepel of ESPNW ran down the battery of tests players received prior to entering the bubble environment:

"Players are to receive a physical and a cardiac screening, fill out a medical questionnaire and have three coronavirus tests, all before going to Florida. They will also self-quarantine a week before the arrival date of July 6.

"If a player tests positive prior to travel, she won't be allowed to come to the site until after following extensive Centers for Disease Control protocol, which includes home isolation and then two negative tests."

A start date for the proposed season has yet to be announced. The WNBA announced its plans for the season in mid-June.

Tyler Byrum of NBC Sports Washington provided more context into the protocol's purpose: "The protocol is in place to allow players who are at high-risk for the coronavirus to opt-out for the year and still receive their full salary. Players can choose to opt-out for non-medical reasons but will not receive pay."

As for Delle Donne, Wallace gave more insight into her situation: "Delle Donne also had back surgery early this year, the rehab for which was likely (?) interrupted. I would guess she was trying to do everything possible to get back in time for the Olympics, but once those were delayed, I wonder how likely a 2020 season would be for her anyway."

Delle Donne, a six-time WNBA All-Star and two-time MVP, played an instrumental role in the Mystics' championship run. She posted 19.5 points on a career-high 51.5 percent shooting and 8.2 rebounds en route to her second MVP. The ex-Delaware star also knocked down 43.0 percent of her three-pointers.

Losing Delle Donne for any amount of time would be a huge blow for the Mystics, even if the rest of the roster is more than capable of holding its own against the rest of the league.

The problem is that the Mystics will enter the season significantly shorthanded if they lose Charles and Delle Donne, as WNBA reporter Matt Ellentuck pointed out:

assuming neither play, the defending champion Mystics will be without Elena Delle Donne, Tina Charles, Natasha Cloud, LaToya Sanders and Kristi Toliver

throw out every WNBA ranking you've done in 2020 https://t.co/LS5BRgKHC7

— Matt Ellentuck (@mellentuck) July 8, 2020

Charles, who was traded to the Mystics in April following six seasons with the New York Liberty, is a seven-time All-Star. She won the 2012 WNBA MVP as a member of the Connecticut Sun.

Charles played college ball at UConn before going first overall to Connecticut in the 2010 WNBA draft. She figures to play a significant role in helping the Mystics stay atop their championship perch whenever she takes the court next.

Charles posted 16.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists last year for the Libs.

The Mystics are looking to defend their first-ever WNBA title after beating the Sun in five games in the Finals.

Washington finished first in the 12-team league with a 26-8 regular-season record before taking down the Las Vegas Aces 3-1 in the semifinals.

Washington Mystics star Natasha Cloud signed a sneaker deal with Converse, making her the first female basketball player to join the brand.

“The biggest thing is for me to use my platform as a microphone. That’s the goal, be a voice for the voiceless.” - @T_Cloud4.

We are both proud and humbled to welcome WNBA champion @T_Cloud4 to the family. pic.twitter.com/0NTqqWCJUi

— Converse (@Converse) June 8, 2020

Cloud averaged 9.0 points and 5.6 assists for the Mystics in 2019 as they won their first WNBA championship. Her work away from the court also helped draw the attention of Converse. 

The 28-year-old penned an essay (warning: link contains profanity) for The Players' Tribune on May 30 in the wake of George Floyd's killing while in police custody. Beyond demanding change to address police brutality and systemic racism, she called upon others to be more vocal and supportive of the cause.

"If you're silent, I don't f--k with you, period," she said. "Because I'm just out here trying to stay alive. And your knee is on my neck."

A native of Broomall, Pennsylvania, Cloud attended a protest in Philadelphia on Saturday.

Ronald Johnson, Converse's general manager of global basketball, told the Washington Post's Kareem Copeland that Cloud's activism was one reason the company wanted to sign her.

"Natasha Cloud's recent piece is one of many examples of integrity, grace and strength she brings to the Converse team," Johnson said. "We stand in solidarity with the black community, with our athletes, collaborators and our teammates, and we commit to act."

According to Johnson, Converse also delayed the release of Cloud's deal at her behest. The company donated $25,000 to a Philadelphia-area racial justice organization and plans to release a short film "featuring Cloud advocating for change."