Mystics’ Elena Delle Donne says medical exclusion request was denied

Current WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne says a panel of doctors has denied her request not to participate in the 2020 season due to medical concerns, a decision she says is at odds with the advice she received from her Own personal doctor, the Washington Mystics star and his agent told ESPN on Monday.

“The independent panel of doctors the league appointed to review high-risk cases has reported that I am not high-risk and that I should be allowed to play in the bubble,” Delle Donne said in a statement released Monday to 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, “Delle Donne added in her statement.

“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.”

“When I spoke to Elena, her initial reaction was disbelief,” Delle Donne’s agent Erin Kane said of her client’s response to the failure of league doctors.

The medical panel was convened by the league and the WNBA Players Association.

“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.” Kane said.

Lyme disease is not on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s list of underlying diseases that could put someone at increased risk for serious illness due to COVID-19.

The panel of doctors considers CDC guidelines when evaluating high-risk cases, according to a draft of the league’s health and safety protocol obtained by ESPN.

Both Kane and an agent for another player seeking a medical exemption expressed concern about what they feel is the poorly outlined process and the unclear direction provided to those seeking a medical panel decision. Both also found that the league’s representatives were lazy in explaining exactly what the panel would rule on and expressed their frustration with a required exemption that exempts the panel of doctors from any liability.

A league spokesman declined to comment Monday night, citing concerns about the privacy of the player’s private medical problems.

Delle Donne, 30, has yet to travel with her Mystics teammates to the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where WNBA players, coaches and support staff live under a series of strict housing and medical protocols. .

The six-time All-Star has battled chronic Lyme disease since 2008 and has spoken publicly for years about the need for a cure. He is also recovering from back surgery in January to repair three herniated discs, Kane said.

“You may still choose not to participate,” Kane said. “Like many people, she is choosing between what is best for her from a health point of view and what is best for her financially for herself and her family.”

A panel of three doctors has been established to advise the WNBA on whether a player can be medically excused for the season, which is scheduled to begin later in the month. Players deemed “high risk” or who have a medical reason to opt out will receive their full salary. Players who do not reach that medical threshold in the panel’s opinion may still choose not to participate and skip the season if the panel does not grant them a medical exemption, but their wages will not be paid in that case.

The CDC does not mention Lyme disease as something that would put an individual at “high risk,” but Kane told ESPN that the mystics’ team doctor, Dr. Anne Rettig, sent a letter to the medical panel informing her that Delle Donne was authorized to play but said it should be considered “higher risk”.

A spokesman for Mystics did not respond to a request for comment.

The medical panel’s decisions are final and the players do not have the ability to appeal, Kane said.

Delle Donne’s teammate Tina Charles, who was acquired from the New York Liberty in an exchange during the offseason, was also awaiting a decision from the league’s medical panel. If Delle Donne and Charles miss the season, the mystics would be reduced to 10 players on the list.

“My heart has been with everyone who has had to choose between their health and an income, and, of course, with anyone who has lost their job, their home, and anyone they love in this pandemic,” said Delle Donne.