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Washington Mystics

Washington Mystics' Elena Delle Donne returns to game action for first time in two years

For the first time since her MVP season two years ago, Elena Delle Donne returned to the hardwood. 

The Washington Mystics forward made her season debut Sunday against the Seattle Storm, playing more than 22 minutes in her first game since October 2019 when she helped lead the Mystics to their first WNBA title.

Delle Donne sat out the 22-game season from the league's Florida "bubble" in 2020 because of concerns about the coronavirus. 

While the Storm prevailed 85-78 behind 20 points and 12 rebounds by Breanna Stewart, Delle Donne scored 16 points on 5-for-11 shooting and made all five of her free-throw attempts. 

As she led Washington to the 2019 championship, Delle Donne suffered three bulging disks in the finals. The two-time MVP underwent two back surgeries and the continued recovery kept her out of the first half of this season.

“I’ve had injuries before, but this has been something where there’s a lot of gray,” she said two weeks ago. “As many times as I want that black-and-white answer, it hasn’t been that way. There’s been a lot of confusion.

"But I’ve had incredible people around me to help me on those tough days. And I realize we are so lucky when we get to play this game that we love, and to enjoy every second of it.”

Washington Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne (11) drives to the basket against the Connecticut Sun during the first quarter in game five of the 2019 WNBA Finals at Entertainment and Sports Arena.

Over her seven-year career, Delle Donne has averaged 20.3 points per game. She recently spoke with USA TODAY about her passion of keeping young girls interested in sports. 

"It's so important, especially for young girls who can look and be like, 'Hey, that can be me. That's literally my peer,'" she said. "So, to be seeing the change in just my lifetime has been humongous. It's been massive to see the young women come in and use their voices and their platforms in a way that can inspire so many others." 

Contributing: Associated Press

Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca

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