At age 33 and entering her 10th WNBA season, two-time league MVP Elena Delle Donne said Monday she has never felt stronger and is excited about the Washington Mystics' prospects. Even if that means going up against the WNBA's so-called "superteams" in defending champion Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty.
Offseason moves brought more attention to the Aces, who added Candace Parker and Alysha Clark to a team that already had 2022 MVP A'ja Wilson, and the Liberty, who added Breanna Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot and Jonquel Jones.
"Of course, it brings a new excitement. It'll probably bring a new fan base as well," Delle Donne said of the Aces and Liberty. "And that's what we always want to see. For me, I have the same drive and appetite each season, so it really doesn't change with who is on whatever team.
"But obviously, yeah, there's a lot of hype around New York and Vegas. I think there's some people that would think, 'Just fast-forward to the end of the season and let those two compete for the championship.' But we're excited to make our mark and do what we've got to do. And in the best movies, the underdog ends up on top. So remember that."
Delle Donne, who has battled severe back issues the last few years, was very upbeat in meeting with the media Monday as the Mystics -- along with the rest of the WNBA -- are starting training camps in preparation for opening weekend of the season May 19-21.
"The offseason went great. It was my first offseason in a really long time where I wasn't rehabbing and I was actually able to train," Delle Donne said. "I'm by far the strongest I've ever been, even weight-wise when I'm lifting in the weight room. I didn't even think that would happen. I feel like I've been able to really improve on some things and continue on the path that I was on."
Delle Donne, who was league MVP in 2015 and in 2019 when she led the Mystics to the WNBA championship, felt the effects of back issues even during their title run. She missed the 2020 season in the COVID-19 bubble and played just three games in 2021.
Last season, she took a measured approach by not traveling to some road games and avoided playing without enough rest. She appeared in 25 of Washington's 36 regular-season games, averaging 17.2 points and 6.3 rebounds as they went 22-14. She played in both of the Mystics' postseason games: They lost 2-0 in the first round to the Seattle Storm, as she averaged 19.0 PPG and 2.5 RPG.
With the strength she has built up since then, Delle Donne hopes to be able to play throughout this season as the schedule has been expanded to 40 games.
"I don't plan to miss any games," Delle Donne said. "I think that's the biggest thing: just my presence and being there. I've been in this league for a while now. I've played with some of the greatest players to play this game. So there's a lot that I've learned and that I feel like I can pass on to the rest of our team.
"This is such a competitive league that you've got to find your way and find who you are as a team, and I feel like I can help and my voice will do that."
There is a lot familiar about this Mystics team, which also has three other full-time starters back in Natasha Cloud, Ariel Atkins and Shakira Austin. There's also the return of veteran guard Kristi Toliver, who was part of the Mystics' 2019 championship squad and played the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks.
Longtime coach Mike Thibault stepped away from the sidelines after last season but is still the Mystics' general manager. His son, Eric Thibault, has moved into the head coach's role from being an assistant. Eric Thibault said Delle Donne's leadership will be crucial to Washington.
"There's the on-the-court and off-the-court piece of using her voice," Eric Thibault said. "She's played a lot of games now and been around USA Basketball, and she's seen a lot. She has become a more and more savvy player over the years. Now she's in a position where she can help teammates see what she sees.
"We talk about having a lot of small, productive conversations. It doesn't have to be big, grand philosophical points. And then Elena has a strong kind of internal compass about what this should feel and look like. So when we have certain standards as a team, it's on her -- as it is on the coaches and some of her veteran teammates - to make sure we're at those standards."