Delle Donne denied medical opt-out by WNBA

[psconn]

As far as the WNBA and basketball go, it seems like a non-issue to me. The parties set the rules and chose the medical panel. A decision was made in accordance with the agreement. The Mystics did exactly the right thing to keep her on the payroll.

EDD stated exactly what she should have been doing all along... use her platform to fund raise, bring attention to the condition and encourage more research and education. Get busy Elena.

 

[Bama fan]

Not sure if this has been posted already, but EDD wrote an open letter about her condition in the Players tribune a day ago. Good read and I feel so bad for her. She takes 64 pills a day to combat the effects of her illness, and is living with current infections now. A shame for anyone, but for a great athlete to have their body revolting against them seems especially devastating.

 

[Dokey]

EDD takes 64 pills each day to control this condition.

'Nuff said!

I take a baby aspirin and I wouldn’t play.

 

[BostonBay]

WNBA barely staying afloat. If they give a pass to EDD, it sets a precedent that may encourage other players to try paid medical leave. I dont see the viability of the WNBA getting better anytime soon.

 

[oldude]

A significant percentage of average joes with average jobs are covered by short term and/or long term disability insurance which pays all or a portion of their income along with medical expenses provided they cannot perform a “core function” of their job due to injury or illness. In order to qualify for disability insurance, an individual must receive a certification from a medical professional.

EDD essentially is in the same position. The one difference being that the WNBA policy board does not recognize Lyme disease as a disability relative to the risk of contracting COVID-19.

 

[oldude]

? The WNBA contract with players essentially guarantees them their salaries if they get injured or sick and cannot play. There is an additional agreement between the league and the players to pay “at risk” players who choose to sit out during the COVID-19 pandemic. The only issue is that the WNBA does not recognize Lyme disease as a risk. If, for instance, EDD had asthma or diabetes, she would be entitled to sit out the season with pay.

 

[Argonaut]

I have to wonder, if EDD was not one of about a dozen widely recognized faces in the league, would they made the same concession?

 

[eebmg]

I have to wonder, if EDD was not one of about a dozen widely recognized faces in the league, would they made the same concession?

no answer to that but pretty incredulously, EDD felt her fame worked against her in the initial ruling.

 

[Argonaut]

no answer to that but pretty incredulously, EDD felt her fame worked against her in the initial ruling.

Which is crazy talk. There was a list and her disease wasn’t on the list...

It’s the same kind of preferential treatment that kept Stewie on the WNBA payroll last season.

 

[j66kicker]

I have to wonder, if EDD was not one of about a dozen widely recognized faces in the league, would they made the same concession?

"They" in this case is the Mystics, not the league. Because the league doesn't recognize her COVID vulnerability, the Mystics are sacrificing a roster spot this season in order to pay her. I suspect it's more about her value to the team than her 'recognized face'.

 

[Argonaut]

"They" in this case is the Mystics, not the league. Because the league doesn't recognize her COVID vulnerability, the Mystics are sacrificing a roster spot this season in order to pay her. I suspect it's more about her value to the team than her 'recognized face'.

It doesn’t really matter who the “they” is. Would the Mystics do the same for Shey Peddy? Or Tianna Hawkins?

The Mystics recognized they had a problem when the league didn’t excuse her from the Wubble and because EDD has an audience and a following, the Mystics made it go away.

 

[j66kicker]

It doesn’t really matter who the “they” is. Would the Mystics do the same for Shey Peddy? Or Tianna Hawkins?

The Mystics recognized they had a problem when the league didn’t excuse her from the Wubble and because EDD has an audience and a following, the Mystics made it go away.

Oh yeah they had a problem. “An audience and a following” doesn’t let Thibault keep his job. Having the [alleged] best player in the league committed to his team lets him keep his job.

 

[Argonaut]

Oh yeah they had a problem. “An audience and a following” doesn’t let Thibault keep his job. Having the [alleged] best player in the league committed to his team lets him keep his job.

So we seemed to have cycled back to my original point that EDD is still getting paid because she’s EDD.

 

[j66kicker]

So we seemed to have cycled back to my original point that EDD is still getting paid because she’s EDD.

I agree, but because she's the reason they won a championship, and can be the reason they will be a championship contender, and they want to keep her happy. Not to keep the public happy because of her recognizable face/face of the franchise status.

 

[Argonaut]

I agree, but because she's the reason they won a championship, and can be the reason they will be a championship contender, and they want to keep her happy. Not to keep the public happy because of her recognizable face/face of the franchise status.

EDD isn’t going anywhere because of geography. The Mystics could have the worst ownership in the league (they don’t) and she would stay put because she doesn’t want to leave her family.

There was too much bad press around the decision and that, IMO, is the real reason they decided to keep paying her.

 

[Deadrody]

For a few days ? Yes. For months at a time, to the point of constituting a WNBA season ? No. You can likely go out on disability, either short or long term. Depending on where you work, the compensation while you are on disability varies. I used to work for a company where you could get 100% pay for up to 6 months on short term, but only 60% on long term. Current company doesn't offer 100% for any duration.

 

[Biff]

Reminder - Do not copy and past copyright protected material to this sight. A short excerpt is allowed as a teaser only. Thank you.

 

[Beemer]

I have to wonder, if EDD was not one of about a dozen widely recognized faces in the league, would they made the same concession?

No and this is true of all the other major sports leagues.

 

[Beemer]

Which is crazy talk. There was a list and her disease wasn’t on the list...

It’s the same kind of preferential treatment that kept Stewie on the WNBA payroll last season.

Yes and I objected to that too.