Delle Donne exits Game 2 early with back spasms

8:38 PM ET

Mechelle VoepelespnW.com
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Mechelle Voepel covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball, and other college sports for espnW. Voepel began covering women’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — League MVP Elena Delle Donne left during the first quarter of the Washington Mystics’ Game 2 of the WNBA Finals against Connecticut on Tuesday night because of back spasms.

Delle Donne played just 3 minutes, 23 seconds before heading to the locker room. She was questionable to return.

ESPN’s Holly Rowe said Delle Donne didn’t practice much Monday because of a back issue. The Sun outscored the Mystics 23-10 after Delle Donne left and led 29-17 after one quarter.

Delle Donne led the Mystics with 22 points in Sunday’s Game 1 95-86 victory. She spoke to the media Saturday and Monday and didn’t indicate that she was having any physical issues.

Last year, Delle Donne suffered a bone bruise in the semifinals. She was able to play in the WNBA Finals but was somewhat limited in movement, and Seattle won in a sweep.

Delle Donne dealt with back issues that restricted her movement in the 2014 WNBA Finals, too, when she was with Chicago.