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Mystics vs Storm final score: Elena Delle Donne returns, Washington loses 85-78 to Seattle

Elena Delle Donne makes her return after two years!

By Diamond Holton
Seattle Storm v Washington Mystics Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images

Well it wasn’t the outcome of the game many wanted, but the return of Elena Delle Donne after two years felt so much better. The Washington Mystics unfortunately lose their fourth straight game after getting downed by the reigning champs, Seattle Storm, 85-78.

Nobody likes to lose but in a way, the Mystics won. There’s still a chance this season for Washington to bounce back with playoff hopes, but at least now they’ll be doing it with a full roster now that Delle Donne is back. During introductions, her name and number was called last as the crowd erupted with joy as their 2019 MVP made her debut after two years. Yep…the last game Delle Donne played was when the Mystics won the championship.

Head Coach Mike Thibault put her back in the lineup but of course on limited minutes. She got in a good seven minutes before making this bucket and heading to the bench for some rest.

The rest was history as she scored 16 points along with three rebounds. She was a bit rusty in the first half only scoring two points, but the second half is where she gained some speed and it seemed like Delle Donne was not missing in action.

Washington struggled in some areas against Seattle, notably in the paint and the offensive boards. Granted, the Mystics had more offensive boards than the Storm, but the Storm converted on more put backs leading to more points in the paint. The Storm also had other teammates stepping up in the scoring department especially when it seemed like Jewel Loyd and Breanna Stewart were struggling early on. Seattle had 25 points off the bench alone to Washington’s 12.

Myisha Hines-Allen had a career-high in rebounds with 17 and scored nine points, but it was a very rocky game for her as overall she shot 2-12 from the floor. Tina Charles had 20 points and was one rebound shy of a double-double. Natasha Cloud, the general, was getting it done as she had 11 points and nine assists. Ariel Atkins added 10 points of her own.

Washington is now 8-14 and now sits in 10th place in the league. As you know only the top eight teams make the playoffs. The Mystics return to defend their home court again on Tuesday when they take on the Los Angeles Sparks. Game time is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET