Mystics' Elena Delle Donne's Back Injury Diagnosed; WNBA Finals Status Unclear

Elena Delle Donne's status for Game 3 of the 2019 WNBA Finals remains up in the air as she battles a back injury. 

The Washington Mystics announced Wednesday the 2019 MVP suffered a small disc herniation and is undergoing treatment. The team will update her availability on Saturday.

Delle Donne was limited to 3:28 before leaving in the first quarter of the Mystics' 99-87 Game 2 defeat. Although she probably wouldn't have been able to neutralize Jonquel Jones (32 points, 18 rebounds) inside, her shooting would've helped Washington keep pace offensively.

The back injury is a particularly cruel blow because Delle Donne was limited in the 2018 Finals as well with a bone bruise in her left knee. She took part in the series but was clearly not at 100 percent as the Mystics were swept by the Seattle Storm.

The Storm were the No. 1 seed and had the reigning MVP, Breanna Stewart, a season ago, so Washington would've been underdogs even with a healthy Delle Donne.

This season is different. The Mystics finished the regular season with the best record (26-8) and were first in net rating (14.8), per WNBA.com.

In terms of efficiency, Delle Donne took her game to another level. She was the first WNBA player to join the 50/40/90 club, shooting 51.5 percent from the field, 43.0 from beyond the arc, and 97.4 percent from the charity stripe.

Washington is far from a one-woman show, but Delle Donne was the MVP for a reason. The Mystics could be in trouble if they can't count on her to play like her usual self.