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Mechelle VoepelESPN.com
Elena Delle Donne of Washington said Wednesday that she hopes that denying her request for a medical exemption this season due to the effects of Lyme disease on her immune system has not been influenced by her status as reigning MVP of the WNBA.
Delle Donne, 30, spoke on SportsCenter after writing about her situation for The Players’ Tribune. He was asked if he believed his status as one of the league’s most prominent players had any effect on the medical panel, which was appointed by the league and the players union, regarding the decision.
“I’m not sure, and I really hope not,” said Delle Donne. “I hope they treat me as ‘Player X’ and see that they have treated me for something for nine years. They have seen my blood test; I have sent everything.”
“So I really hope that’s not the reason why this happened. I hope that the doctors are still unaware of Lyme disease and they don’t have literate doctors on that panel, because I don’t want to believe that that has happened. Unfortunately, It could be what happened. “
Delle Donne said she follows a regimen in which she takes 64 pills per day.
“I know that taking so many medications every day probably won’t have a big effect on my long-term health, but I love the game of basketball,” said Delle Donne. “I found a protocol that sometimes works for me and allows me to play. But I think I will have to be much more open about my treatment, that I have been private. Because medical things are not always open” But I think people deserve my honesty and they deserve to see the fight I went through just to have a normal life, let alone be on a basketball court. “
The WNBA is playing a shortened 22-game regular season, beginning July 25, at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Some players have chosen not to worry about the coronavirus pandemic, while others have done so to focus on social justice concerns. Players also had the option to request medical exemptions based on their risk factors if they contracted coronavirus. If players are considered medically exempt, they earn their full salary for the season.
“I considered her a high-risk player,” said Breanna Stewart of Seattle, the 2018 MVP, when asked about Delle Donne’s situation on Wednesday. “I hope the league and Elena can figure out something where they don’t have to be in an awkward situation.”
Phoenix forward Jessica Breland is a player who received a waiver because she had Hodgkins lymphoma while she was in college in North Carolina a decade ago. Delle Donne’s teammate at Mystics, Tina Charles, is also seeking a medical exemption, but it has not been publicly announced if she obtained it.
Delle Donne also underwent back surgery in the offseason for three herniated discs she dealt with last season while leading the Mystics to the WNBA title. She said her concerns about the coronavirus were a major factor in how she has been living her life in recent months.
“For nine years, I have been dealing with Lyme disease and other coinfections that have destroyed my immune system, and I have been immunocompromised for years,” said Delle Donne. “When COVID appeared, and I saw that if you are immunocompromised you have to be very careful, I have been that.”
“I went through the process with the league sending all my information. My doctor, who has been treating me for nine years, basically sent a letter that said: This is not safe for her. So when I received the call that was denied, I was completely shocked. I really didn’t understand, and now it’s almost as if I’m being asked to ignore the doctor who listened to me and has been treating me, and is allowing me to live a normal life with the protocol and treatment he’s had me for years. “
Delle Donne said she would continue to discuss the situation with his wife, Amanda, and that it would not take long for her to decide whether to play, now that she is not receiving the medical exemption.
“Fortunately, I am privileged to be able to make a decision, and I know that there are many people through COVID who have lost jobs, who are hungry, who do not have the option of choosing whether they want to go to work or not,” he said. Delle Donne. “Now I’m in a position where, thank God … it’s never easy when you lose a full salary, including endorsements, if I’m not playing.”
“But I’m in a position where we can figure it out; we’ll find a way to move forward if my decision is not to go play. Then we’ll see what happens. Maybe this is good; maybe this is an awakening for me to talk more about Lyme disease, to fight for people who have been ignored for years, like me. “
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