Elena Delle Donne reinjures ankle in Mystics’ loss to Sun

But all the good feelings disappeared late in the second quarter, when Delle Donne limped to the locker room and never returned. The Mystics went on to lose, 92-84, as their defense continued to struggle against Connecticut. The Sun (14-5) has won all three of their meetings while averaging 86.7 points — and it has increased its scoring output in each game.

“We did not execute many coverages right,” Mystics Coach Eric Thibault said. “I just kind of told the group, we’ve got two [newcomers who have] an excuse for not being clear on what we’re doing. But everybody else should be a lot more up to speed on what we’re calling, what we’re trying to execute. It’s not a matter of effort a lot. It’s a matter of listening to your teammates, of focus and understanding the game plan. We double- and triple-check a lot to make sure everybody’s clear on the game plan. Then we shouldn’t have breakdowns.”

Delle Donne was hurt contesting a shot by DeWanna Bonner, clipping Bonner’s foot upon landing and rolling her ankle. The Mystics shared no information after the game, and she is slated to be reevaluated Monday.

“Absolutely not, absolutely not,” the Mystics’ Myisha Hines-Allen said when asked whether Delle Donne’s injury was deflating. “We have everybody that we need in the locker room. Doesn’t matter who’s playing — we’re always going to step up. We’re never going to give up. We’re going to fight to the end. Of course, we do not want to see Elena go down; we need her on the court with us. But at the end of the day, some things we can’t control, so we have to be able to adapt.”

Bonner scored a game-high 28 points; she went 6 for 12 from behind the arc. Alyssa Thomas added 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Washington (10-8) had no answer for either; Thomas’s shot clock-beating, turnaround push shot gave Connecticut a 90-81 lead with 2:43 remaining and essentially sealed the victory. The Sun shot 50.8 percent and scored multiple baskets with the shot clock running down after what had been good defensive possessions. Thibault lamented defenders going under screens and not forcing the ball the right way in pick-and-roll coverage.

Last time out: Mystics, minus three regular starters, bounce back to fight off Fever

Despite all of that, Washington led by one after three quarters. The Sun outscored the Mystics 27-18 in the final period.

Washington’s Tianna Hawkins tied a career high with 24 points. Brittney Sykes and Hines-Allen added 14 points apiece. Ariel Atkins had 10 points and tied Ivory…