After consulting with his own doctor, Washington Mystics star and reigning MVP of the league, Elena Delle Donne, believes he is at high risk of contracting COVID-19 due to his history of chronic Lyme disease and should be able to medically exclude himself from the 2020 season.
The WNBA, however, feels otherwise.
Delle Donne and her agent told ESPN on Monday night that the league denied her request not to participate in the season due to medical concerns, which means she will have to play when the WNBA begins its season this month at the IMG Academy. in Bradenton, Florida, or I don’t get paid.
“The independent panel of doctors the league appointed to review high-risk cases has reported that I am not high-risk, and should be allowed to play in the bubble,” Delle Donne said in a statement, via ESPN.
“I love my team, and we had an amazing season last year, and I want to play! But the question is whether the WNBA bubble is safe for me. My personal doctor who has treated me for Lyme disease for years advised that I have a high risk of contracting and having complications from COVID-19.
“I am thinking about things, talking to my doctor and my wife, and I hope to share what I ultimately plan to do very soon.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a list of underlying medical conditions that increase a person’s risk of contracting the coronavirus regardless of age, however that list does not include Lyme disease.
Delle Donne, 30, has battled chronic Lyme disease since 2008, and is also recovering from back surgery in January, which repaired three herniated discs.
The panel, which was jointly appointed by the league and the players’ association, determines whether a player is “at high risk” of contracting the coronavirus due to a medical condition. If the panel determines that a player fits into that category, they can choose not to participate in the season and still receive full payment. If not, they will not be paid if they decide not to play.
According to ESPN, the panel of doctors uses the CDC guidelines when evaluating high-risk cases. However, his decisions are final, which means that Delle Donne cannot appeal.
“When I spoke to Elena, her initial reaction was disbelief,” Delle Donne’s agent Erin Kane said on ESPN.
“I know that doctors don’t always agree with each other and that there are different opinions on certain things within the medical community and now I have a player who is in an incredibly difficult situation due to the way things were aligned.”
Delle Donne averaged 19.5 points and 8.2 rebounds last season, her seventh in the league, while leading the Mystics to a WNBA title. The six-time All-Star and two-time league MVP did not travel with the team to Florida.
There were more than 3.3 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States as of Sunday afternoon, according to The New York Times, with more than 135,000 deaths attributed to it. The country also set a new single-day record on Friday, registering more than 68,000 new cases alone.
Florida had more than 282,000 confirmed cases, the third in the country behind New York and California, and set an impressive new state record on Sunday with more than 15,000 new cases alone.
“You may still choose not to participate,” said Kane, via ESPN. “Like many people, she is choosing between what is best for her from a health point of view and what is best for her from a financial point of view for her and her family.”
The request by Washington Mystics star Elena Delle Donne not to participate in the season over concerns about the coronavirus related to her Lyme disease was denied on Monday. (G Fiume / Getty Images)
