4:17 PM ET
Kelly CohenESPN
Two of the WNBA’s biggest stars — Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (ankle) and Washington Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne (back) — continue to miss time as the regular season winds down.
Taurasi, who is dealing with an ankle injury, will miss her third consecutive game — and 15th overall this season — when the Mercury visit the Seattle Storm on Friday. The Mercury can earn a first-round playoff bye with a victory.
The Mystics will again be without Delle Donne, who played just three games this season after returning from a 22-month hiatus following a pair of back surgeries.
The Mystics (12-18) are holding on to the No. 8 spot and can earn a playoff berth with either a win against the New York Liberty on Friday night or the Minnesota Lynx in Sunday’s regular-season finale.
The WNBA playoffs begin Sept. 23.