Tag: Elena Delle Donne

The Washington Mystics are slowly approaching dumpster fire status

The Washington Mystics are a mess.

With the WNBA offseason comes change, but sometimes, that change can shake a franchise’s future. If the Washington Mystics don’t figure things out quickly, their situation will turn into a dumpster fire, and that is not where they want to be.

The 2023 season was not very kind to Washington. The franchise was plagued by many injuries, including significant injuries to Elena Delle Donne, Kristi Toliver and Shakira Austin. Still, Washington was riding confidently into the postseason, supported by a gutsy last-second heave from Brittney Sykes to beat the New York Liberty during their last regular season game — only to lose to New York in the first round just days later.

In December 2023, Kristi Toliver retired, opting to become the associate head coach for the Phoenix Mercury. Owner Ted Leonsis also unveiled plans that could potentially uproot the Mystics to Capital One Arena, leaving them vulnerable to poor attendance records. But the pain doesn’t stop there.

This month, there were franchise-shifting moves. Natasha Cloud signed with the Mercury (where Toliver is now on staff), and on February 7, news broke that Elena Delle Donne is stepping away from basketball.

As we’ve seen with the Chicago Sky this offseason, things can change very quickly. Like Chicago, it’s hard to understand where Washington is going, and they almost certainly look like a dumpster fire waiting to happen. Perhaps these are the first steps to rebuilding and a sign of things to come. But if they aren’t, fans are not going to be happy with the shaky foundation ownership has seemingly created.

Well, at least Washington fans have the Wizards to fall back on — oh no!

Nuggets’ Michael Porter Jr. admires Breanna Stewart’s game and her shoes

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. recently signed a shoe deal extension with Puma, and wants to continue to push the brand forward.

There have only ever been 12 players with their own signature shoes bearing their name. With the WNBA finished with its 27th season, that is roughly .44 shoe deals per season.

The first shoe deal in WNBA history was the Nike Air Swoopes in 1995, named after legendary player Sheryl Swoopes. In 2021, New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart signed a deal with Puma and was the 10th player in WNBA history to have a signature shoe.

“Hopefully, Puma and I will set the standard and the bar for many more WNBA players deserving a signature shoe,” said Stewart.

Since then, Washington Mystic’s Elena Delle Donne and New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu have had shoe deals. However, Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is looking to change that.

“You have guys wearing women’s shoes, and it’s usually the other way around,” Porter told Boardroom. “We want to bring more awareness to the WNBA and give those women the flowers that they deserve. I just think it’s cool for me to be able to represent that.”

Porter recently signed a shoe deal extension with Puma, and he wants to continue to push the brand forward along with shining a spotlight on the players of the WNBA.

“I’ve always admired Stewie’s game since back at UConn,” Porter said. “She’s broken tons of records, and ever since her rookie year in the WNBA, she’s done some amazing things. She’s always been a hooper to me.”

He sports Stewart’s signature shoes, the Puma Stewie 2s, on the court and continues to do what he can to support his fellow ballers.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=650261897]

Delle Donne launches first-ever wine brand by a WNBA player

Deldon Wines is a partnership with Los Angeles-based wine concept DD Project Wines.

Elena Delle Donne dominates on and off the court with her entrepreneurial endeavors, charitable work and family making up the bulk of her time off the court. She recently launched Deldon Wines in partnership with Los Angeles-based wine concept DD Project Wines.

Deldon Wines is also a charitable venture that helps benefit non-profit causes. All proceeds from the sale of her first signature wine will go equally to the Elena Delle Donne Foundation and the DD Entrepreneurial Foundation.

“Launching Deldon Wines is a dream come true for me because it ticks so many boxes in terms of my values,” says Delle Donne. “I knew my next project would be a wine brand because wine has always been part of my connection with my family — and anyone who knows my story knows how much family means to me. Being able to share this family connection with the world while also supporting charitable causes that are deeply meaningful to me makes me so excited to launch Deldon Wines.”

This is the first-ever wine brand by a WNBA star athlete, which makes sense since Delle Donne is an innovative person and player.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0eonHfOVgU/

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=650262608]

WNBA playoffs predictions: Will the Liberty crush the Aces’ chances of winning back-to-back?

For basketball heads everywhere, the WNBA playoffs are an out-of-body experience.

The WNBA playoffs are here. This is when regular season records mean nothing, and wins mean everything. It’s buzzer beaters, emphatically blocked shots, “what did I just see?” moments and scoring so good you’ll need a pulse check.

For basketball heads everywhere, this is an out-of-body experience. The level of play is elevated, and so are the expectations.

Will the Lynx fly too close to the Sun? (See what I did there?) Will the Liberty crush the Aces’ chances of winning back-to-back titles?

Who wins? Who’s out?

These are your 2023 WNBA playoff predictions:

Elena Delle Donne leads Mystics to win over first-place Aces in return

The Mystics held the Aces below 70 points for just the second time this season in their 78-62 victory.

Washington Mystics player Elena Delle Donne returned to the court in spectacular fashion. She had a team-high 21 points in just 22 minutes of play in the Mystics’ 78-62 win over the Las Vegas Aces.

Delle Donne was nursing a hip injury before her return but admitted she isn’t playing scared.

“I’m playing free,” Delle Donne said. “I don’t think about injuries or, ‘Oh, what if I step on a foot again.’ It’s basketball, and you’ve got to just enjoy the moments you’re out there and play as hard as you can.”

The Mystics held the Aces below 70 points, which is just the second time this season the Aces failed to cross that mark. Aces superstar A’ja Wilson recorded her 20th double-double of the season, which is the second-most in the WNBA this season. The Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas holds the top spot with 25 this season.

“It felt so good to be out there … just to have the whole group out there felt good,” Delle Donne said. “I think you could see it; we were just playing with joy, sharing the ball, trusting in each other. That’s what it can look like.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=650261897]

Brittney Griner’s return and 5 other storylines to watch for the 2023 WNBA Season

Super teams are here in Las Vegas and New York, but what about Elena Delle Donne and the Mystics?

The WNBA is back.

Its 27th season tips off on Friday night with four games, two of which will be nationally televised. The New York Liberty and Washington Mystics face off at 7 p.m. EST on NBA TV, and the Phoenix Mercury square off with the Los Angeles Sparks on ESPN at 11 p.m. EST.

There are plenty of reasons to watch the WNBA this year and the league is hoping to capture the momentum from this year’s NCAA tournament, which set records for viewership.

This week has already been an eventful one for the WNBA, as it announced penalties from the results of its investigation into the Las Vegas Aces, which included a two-game suspension for coach Becky Hammon and the loss of a draft pick. Additionally, several high-profile players were cut in the last week, leading to another outcry for the league to add teams and expand its rosters.

Here are the storylines to pay attention to in the WNBA this season.

2022 WNBA season MVP futures: favorites, sleepers and predictions

Who do you have winning the MVP?

The countdown to opening night of WNBA’s 26th season has officially reached single digits. Training camps are well-underway, preseason games are happening and rosters are being trimmed to their regular-season form in preparation for the W’s May 6th start.

And while the fringe roster players are sweating out the days of training camp, wondering what their futures as WNBA players hold, the established players and team leaders are gearing up for what they hope will be a magical season. There are a select few who have the power to make that happen, we call those MVP candidates.

We take a look at the elite players’ odds to win the MVP award, while also pinpointing the sleepers and longshots.

Todd Gurley offered some details of the Gatorade commercial with Zion

The Falcons running back shared some behind-the-scenes details on how the new Gatorade commercial was produced.

[jwplayer 6YKYPoxe]

Atlanta Falcons running back Todd Gurley was among the athletes that appeared in a new Gatorade commercial that debuted last month with the return of professional sports around the world and across the United States.

Gurley starred alongside New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson, Washington Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper and Olympic track and field athlete Sydney McLaughlin in the commercial.

The athletes in the 30-second spot are depicted as being excited to just be playing anything again after sports shuttered for several months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Gurley tried his hand at baseball, lacrosse and even soccer in the ad.

Gurley offered some behind-the-scenes details Friday on “The Dan Patrick Show” on how that commercial was shot as it has been running daily during live sporting events.

“We all did it at our house,” Gurley said. “So, I did it at my house in California. I guess Bryce did his maybe in Florida or Philly and then Zion did his in New Orleans. It was kinda like a Zoom shoot.”

The commercial was the first for Williamson, who signed on to endorse the sports drink prior to the start of his rookie season. The rest of the athletes in the ad have been with the company for some time now and all came together to create a fun commercial with sports back front and center.

[lawrence-related id=21338,20627,16096]

[vertical-gallery id=14282]

Indiana Fever vs. Washington Mystics odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Indiana Fever vs. Washington Mystics match up, with WNBA betting odds, picks and best bets.

The Indiana Fever and Washington Mystics get their WNBA regular season underway Saturday at 5 p.m. ET at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., in the league’s bubble site, or “Wubble” – which the players have been calling it. We analyze the Fever-Mystics WNBA betting odds and lines, with betting advice and tips around the matchup.

The Mystics embark on defense of their crown, and the WNBA champs can partially thank the Fever for their recent success. Winning the Eastern Conference by three games last season, Washington can point to its 3-0 straight-up record vs. Indiana, while going 1-1-1 against the spread (ATS) in those contests.

Fever vs. Mystics: By the Numbers

  • Since the start of the 2017 WNBA regular season the Mystics have rattled off 10 consecutive victories over the Fever, going 6-3-1 ATS. The average margin of victory in last season’s three-game regular season sweep was 19.7 points per game, even with one battle decided in overtime.
  • Seven of the past eight in this series have ended up going Over, and Washington has scored 82 or more points in seven of those outings. The Mystics averaged a gaudy 97.7 PPG in the three meetings in 2019.
  • The Mystics (+250) are listed as the favorites to repeat as WNBA champions. The Fever (+4000) are long shots to win it all – only the Atlanta Dream and Dallas Wings (+6600 each) have longer odds.

WNBA season is finally here! Get some action on the 2020 season with an WNBA bet at BetMGM in NJ, IN, CO and WV. Bet now!

Fever vs. Mystics: Key injuries

Fever

  • F Lauren Cox is out. She arrived Thursday evening to the bubble, and players have to quarantine in their rooms for four days after arrival.

Mystics

  • F Tina Charles was deemed a high-risk individual by the league’s independent doctors and received a medical waiver, opting out for the season.
  • C Elena Delle Donne, the 2019 MVP, has been battling the after-effects of Lyme disease for several years and did not receive a medical waiver, but she is not expected to play.
  • F LaToya Sanders also elected to opt out due to health reasons.
  • G Natasha Cloud elected to skip the 2020 season, focusing on social justice instead.

Fever vs. Mystics: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

WNBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Saturday at 10:35 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Mystics 87, Fever 78

Moneyline (ML)

The MYSTICS (-133) are missing some of their big guns, but they’ll still have enough to upend the Fever (+110) in the opener. The defending champs aren’t losing this one.

Against the spread (ATS)

The spread is -1.5 for WASHINGTON (-110). Perhaps this one is close at halftime and into the third quarter, but look for the Mystics to pull away from Indiana (+1.5, -110) late.

Over/Under (O/U)

The OVER 162.5 (-120) has hit in each of the three meetings last season, and seven of the past eight in this series. Even without Charles, Cloud and Delle Donne on the floor, the Mystics have a powerful offense. They won’t erupt for the 97.7 PPG they averaged in three games against the Fever last season, but Washington will do enough for the win and an Over result.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=3729]