No Sky players are among the finalists for the U.S. team at the upcoming World Championship in Turkey.
Elena Delle Donne, Sylvia Fowles and Courtney Vandersloot had been originally invited to the training camp, which began while the Sky was in the WNBA Playoffs. Any of them still could have been asked to join the team in Paris this week, but USA Basketball said Thursday that Delle Donne and Fowles are “unable to compete for a spot…due to injury.”
Delle Donne had been limited by back problems in the playoffs but put up big numbers in the last two games of the WNBA Finals against Phoenix, and she had repeatedly expressed interest in still trying to make the team.
Fowles missed the first 13 games of the season after hip surgery and spoke of no injury issues recently, but Sky coach Pokey Chatman said Thursday Fowles had been fighting plantar fascitis and Achilles tendinitis the latter part of the season. Chatman said the team doctor put Fowles’ foot in a stabilizing boot once the playoffs ended.
According to Chatman, USA Basketball cut Vandersloot Saturday, but that never had been announced.
The Mercury’s Diana Taurasi and Candice Dupree have been added to the roster, bringing it to 15. Three must be cut before the World Championship.