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Washington Mystics 2025 WNBA Season Preview

[Editor's note: This article is from Athlon Sports' 2025 WNBA Preview print magazine. Order your copy today online, or pick one up at retail racks and newsstands nationwide.] The Washington Mystics are another team in transition, having parted ways with longtime coach-turned-general manager Mike Thibault and his son Eric, Mike's successor who served as head coach the past two seasons. The Mystics will also be without franchise cornerstone Elena Delle Donne, the two-time MVP, seven-time All-Star and 2019 NBA champion who announced her retirement in April. Her decision is not exactly a surprise since she sat out the 2024 season, but it feels like the end of a chapter for the Mystics. Advertisement Washington has struggled since that title run, finishing above .500 only once — in 2022, Mike Thibault's final year at the helm. The Mystics missed the playoff cut last year, finishing 14-26 after an 0-12 start. The franchise hit reset, bringing in a new general manager in Jamila Wideman and head coach in Sydney Johnson. Wideman joins Washington after six years in the NBA league office. Most recently, she served as senior vice president of player development. Johnson, who coached the USA's 3x3 team in the 2024 FIBA AmeriCup, has worked with USA Basketball for the past five seasons. Johnson was an assistant with the Chicago Sky last season. In the offseason, the Mystics traded veteran guard Ariel Atkins to Chicago for the No. 3 pick and future draft considerations. Atkins led the team in scoring in 2024, averaging 14.9 points in 29.9 minutes per game. She also pulled down 3.4 rebounds and dished 3.1 assists with a team-high 1.5 steals per contest. Golden State selected fellow guard Julie Vanloo in the expansion draft, and Myisha Hines-Allen signed with the Dallas Wings in free agency. And on the day of the draft, Mystics made a big move with the future in mind, trading Karlie Samuelson to Minnesota for a first-round pick in 2026. Fortunately, the team was able to re-stock with three of the top six picks in April's draft. Advertisement Now, it will be up to players like Brittney Sykes, Stefanie Dolson, Shakira Austin and Aaliyah Edwards to lead the Mystics into this new era. More WNBA team previews: Aces | Dream | Fever | Liberty | Lynx | Mercury | Sky | Sparks | Storm | Sun | Valkyries | Wings Washington Mystics center Stefanie Dolson reacts during her team's game against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 10, Smith / IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK Frontcourt The Mystics return most of their frontcourt, led by Dolson, who started 39 games a year ago and averaged 9.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in one of her best seasons since her All-Star 2017 campaign. Throughout her career, Dolson has established herself as one of the league's best shooters with a career average of 50% and a 40.8% mark beyond the arc. She more than doubled her previous career high with 72 3-pointers for the Mystics last year, which was tied for second on the team and just seven treys behind Atkins for the team lead. Advertisement Dolson's consistency in the starting lineup was particularly important as Washington navigated nearly half the season without Austin available. Though hip and ankle injuries limited her, Austin was in the midst of one of her best statistical seasons yet. The third-year forward averaged a career-high 11.8 points along with 6.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 12 games — even while she was on a minutes restriction. In her absence, Dolson typically played alongside forwards Emily Engstler and Sika Koné. Edwards, a rookie forward, also struggled with injuries throughout the season, including a broken nose, a right ankle injury and lower back pain. Even so, she missed only six games, largely coming off the bench for the Mystics and producing 7.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game. The UConn grad was an efficient scorer with the Huskies, averaging nearly 60% shooting from the field. Defensively, Edwards was even more impressive, recording 27 blocks, which landed her in the league's top 20. It will be fascinating to watch how she can develop with more time on the court. Outside of Dolson, who is entering her 12th season, the Mystics' core of frontcourt players is extremely young, having played three or fewer seasons each, so another year of experience together may make a big difference for Washington. Expect to see Dolson, Austin and Edwards at the heart of this rotation, with Engsteler, Koné and rookie Kiki Iriafen filling in the gaps. Washington Mystics guard Brittney Sykes reacts during her team's preseason game against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 3, Smith / IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Backcourt Sykes was another player who struggled with injuries last season, missing a month with an ankle injury and foot sprain. Despite playing just 18 games, she filled a vital role for the Mystics. In fact, nine of the team's 14 victories came with her in the starting lineup. Advertisement She returns this year, but Washington will be without Atkins, Samuelson, Vanloo and Hines-Allen, which leaves room for a few new players to fight for a place in the rotation. Third-year guard Jade Melbourne is an intriguing option to fill one of the guard spots. Melbourne averaged 5.4 points in 14.2 minutes across 37 games and showed her potential as a playmaker, dishing 59 assists. The Mystics also have Sug Sutton, who played only seven games due to an elbow injury after a trade from Phoenix. The Mystics added to an extremely limited backcourt rotation via the draft with players like Sonia Citron out of Notre Dame and Georgia Amoore from Kentucky. Final Analysis The Mystics have some talent on the roster and the benefit of familiarity without a lot of turnover in the offseason. The newcomers will also bolster the rotation. That is an area where Johnson's success with rookie stars Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso in Chicago last season will be particularly handy. Edwards, another young talent, also feels primed for a breakout season. Advertisement The biggest question for this squad entering 2025: Can the Mystics stay healthy? While navigating injuries, Washington tested 12 different starting lineups at different points in the season, with Atkins, who is no longer with the team, serving as the only common thread between them. The benefit, of course, is that even though they lose three of their main starters, the Mystics do have six returning players with starting experience in the WNBA. Expect that trend to continue as Johnson familiarizes himself with the returners and works to integrate the new class of rookies. The right mix could give Washington a little boost in 2025. Sonia Citron poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected with the No. 3 overall pick by the Washington Mystics in the WNBA Draft in New York on April Carchietta-Imagn Images Beyond the Arc WNBA Pioneer: New general manager Jamila Wideman was part of the WNBA's inaugural class after helping lead Stanford to three Final Fours. The Los Angeles Sparks drafted her third overall in 1997, and she played two seasons there before being traded to the Cleveland Rockers. She also played with the expansion Portland Fire and the Connecticut Sun before retiring. As a rookie, Wideman ranked seventh in the WNBA with 103 assists. Advertisement Staying in D.C.: Elena Delle Donne has officially retired, but she will stay close to the Mystics, serving as a special advisor to Monumental Basketball. Monumental owns and operates the Mystics, the NBA's Washington Wizards, the NBA G League's Capital City Go-Go and the NHL's Washington Capitals. Reunited: Prior to his appointment as Mystics head coach, Sydney Johnson coached Brittney Sykes on the 2024 FIBA 3x3 Americup Team. Sykes averaged 6.2 points and 2.6 rebounds, including a nine-point showing in the title game vs. Canada where the USA fell 19-18. Four Mystics players were invited to the team's development camp (Shakira Austin, Emily Engstler and Sug Sutton were the other three). It was Sykes' second time representing the USA. The first came in the 2019 FIBA Women's AmeriCup, where the team won gold in five-on-five. Draft Recap 1. Sonia Citron, G, 6-1, Notre Dame Advertisement 1. Kiki Iriafen, F, 6-3, USC 1. Georgia Amoore, G, 5-6, Kentucky 2. Lucy Olsen, G, 5-10, Iowa 3. Zaay Green, G, 6-2, Alabama Analysis: After trading away Karlie Samuelson, the Mystics naturally focused on finding guards in this draft class, and they succeeded. They selected a pair of versatile players in Sonia Citron and Georgia Amoore, who will compete for minutes in this shorthanded backcourt. At 6-foot-1, Citron is one of the Mystics' tallest guards, able to cause trouble for opponents on the perimeter with her length. With the addition of talented guards Lucy Olsen and Zaay Green, the backcourt is suddenly looking crowded. The Mystics also selected Kiki Iriafen, who typically played small forward at Stanford and USC. She is another exciting addition who can help a team in a variety of ways, including her ability to step out and knock down a midrange jump shot. Advertisement More WNBA team previews: Aces | Dream | Fever | Liberty | Lynx | Mercury | Sky | Sparks | Storm | Sun | Valkyries | Wings Related: Athlon Sports 2025 WNBA Preview Magazine Available Now Related: Caitlin Clark Is Rested, Ready to Be Her Best After Offseason Recharge