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Elena Delle Donne is still the only Mystics player in consideration for Team USA’s 2020 Olympic team

The Washington Mystics may be WNBA champions, but they are not well represented on the American pool for next year’s Olympic team.

By Albert Lee
2019 WNBA Finals - Game One
Natasha Cloud and Ariel Atkins are two of the WNBA’s best guards. But they are not in consideration for the USA Basketball women’s national team.
Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images

The Washington Mystics are an unorthodox WNBA championship team. They only have one true superstar in 2019 WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne. Washington’s Finals MVP is Belgian forward Emma Meesseman who’s probably their true best player at this point — we’ll write more on her in the weeks ahead. And their offense takes “Everybody Eats” to another level.

You’d think that USA Basketball would give the Mystics some love and consider additional players for the women’s national team in next year’s Olympics. But you’d be mistaken.

As of today, Nov. 1, Delle Donne is the only Washington player who is in consideration for the Olympic team. For some perspective, three Connecticut Sun players: Jasmine Thomas, Layshia Clarendon and Morgan Tuck are in the pool. Meanwhile, key Washington players like Natasha Cloud and Ariel Atkins are nowhere to be seen.

Kristi Toliver is considered a Slovakian player based on FIBA regulations though she only played in EuroBasket Women 2015 for them.

Washington will also have no representation in this year’s NCAA Tour in November. Delle Donne is healing from her back injury and herniated discs from the WNBA Finals.

There is always a chance that additional Mystics players get selected to the pool at any time. But for now, it’s clear that the team is still struggling to get more respect from USA Basketball.