Game Info

When: Saturday, May 15 at 1 p.m. ET

Where: Entertainment and Sports Arena, Washington, D.C.

How to watch: ABC

Injury Report

Mystics: Elena Delle Donne (Back, Out); Myisha Hines-Allen (Overseas, Out); Alysha Clark (Foot, Out for season)

Sky: Ruthy Hebard and Shyla Heal (coronavirus protocol)

Pregame notes

The Washington Mystics are facing the Chicago Sky in their regular-season opener. The Mystics will be without Delle Donne, Erica McCall, Myisha Hines-Allen and Alysha Clark, who is out for the season. Washington lost both of their pre-season games last week and seem to still be figuring things out as the final roster is narrowed down. The team waived guards Aislinn Konig and Lapresha Stanley Monday afternoon.

The Mystics shot terribly in their pre-season games

Hopefully the Mystics can figure their offense out sooner than later because it wasn’t pretty last week. In their first pre-season game against the Atlanta Dream, Washington went 41.1 percent from the field and just 23.3 percent from beyond the arc. Several days later in their second pre-season game, they made 19-out-of-66 (28.8%) from the field and 7-out-of-29 (24.1) from downtown.

Elena Delle Donne won’t be suiting up

Coach Mike Thibault is not expecting to have Delle Donne until the third to sixth game, according the The Washington Post reporter Kareem Copeland. Delle Donne had two back surgeries last year and is still working to make a comeback.

Tina Charles is ready for the season

Charles, who sat out last season, was worth the wait. In both pre-season games she led the team with 18 points. The Mystics are going to rely on Charles a great deal this season, especially as Delle Donne is out of the lineup. Hopefully, she’s back and better sooner than later because the fans want to see the two MVPs on the floor.

Candace Parker is back home

In case you missed it, Candace Parker signed with the Sky in February. The 2-time WNBA, who grew up in Illinois, played all of her 13 season in Los Angeles. Last season for the Sparks, Parker averaged 14.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game.

We will have to wait to see Myisha Hines-Allen

Hines-Allen, who is still playing overseas, isn’t expected to make her return until the third or fourth game of the season. Hines-Allen had a breakout season last year, averaging 17 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. With the Mystics being down several players during the 2020 season, she saw a major increase in her time on the floor. Hines-Allen went from 7.8 minutes per game in the 2019 season to 30 minutes per game last season. Hines-Allen will have to adjust to playing with Delle Donne and Tina Charles this season but if she plays anything like she did in 2020, the a healthy Mystics team will have great depth.