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Washington Mystics

Women's National Basketball Association team in Washington, D.C.

Washington Mystics

Women's National Basketball Association team in Washington, D.C.

FieldValue
nameWashington Mystics
current2025 Washington Mystics season
logoWashington Mystics logo.svg
leaguesWNBA
conferenceEastern
founded1998
historyWashington Mystics
1998–present
arenaCareFirst Arena
locationWashington, D.C.
colorsRed, navy blue, silver, white
sponsorGEICO
coachSydney Johnson
assistantsJessie Miller
Emre Vatansever
gmJamila Wideman
presidentMichael Winger
ownershipMonumental Sports & Entertainment (Ted Leonsis)
championships1 (2019)
1_pattern_b_washingtonmystics_heroine21
1_pattern_s_washingtonmystics_heroine2122
1_titleHeroine
2_pattern_b_washingtonmystics_explorer21
2_pattern_s_washingtonmystics_explorer2122
2_titleExplorer
3_titleRebel --
website

1998–present

Emre Vatansever

The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded prior to the 1998 season, and is owned by Ted Leonsis through Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which also owns the Mystics' NBA counterpart, the Washington Wizards. The team plays in the CareFirst Arena in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington DC. Sheila C. Johnson, co-founder of BET and ex-wife of Charlotte Sting owner Robert L. Johnson, is the managing partner.

The Mystics have qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in 13 of its 23 seasons of existence, and the franchise has been home to such high-quality players as two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne, Tennessee standout Chamique Holdsclaw, athletic shooting guard Alana Beard, and nearby Maryland product Crystal Langhorne. Until 2018, the Mystics were the only current WNBA franchise that had never made it to the WNBA Finals. They lost in the semifinals twice, to New York in 2002 and to the eventual champion Minnesota Lynx in 2017. After reaching the WNBA Finals for the first time in 2018, they won their first championship in 2019.

History

(1998–2004)

Logo from 1998 to 2010

On October 1, 1997, the city of Washington, D.C. was selected as a potential city for a WNBA expansion team. On November 11, the selection was made official, with the team to begin play during the 1998 season. On December 16, 1997, Abe Pollin, chairman of Washington Sports and Entertainment (WSELP), announced that the team would be known as the Washington Mystics, in keeping with the magic theme shared by the NBA's Washington Wizards. The league held their first expansion draft for the Mystics and the Detroit Shock on February 18, 1998.

The Mystics finished the 1998 season with a WNBA worst 3–27 record, despite being led by Olympian Nikki McCray. Although they did not make the playoffs that year, the team had high expectations after drafting University of Tennessee star Chamique Holdsclaw in 1999. Washington improved but again failed to make the playoffs as they finished with a 12–20 record. Holdsclaw would lead the team to the playoffs in 2000, making the playoffs with a record of 14–18, losing to the New York Liberty in a first-round sweep.

After being tied for the worst record in the WNBA in 2001 with a 10–22 record, coach Tom Maher and General Manager Melissa McFerrin both resigned. With the future of the franchise up in the air, Mystics assistant coach Marianne Stanley took over as head coach. With the duo of Holdsclaw and rookie guard Stacey Dales-Schuman, the Mystics made the playoffs in 2002 with a 17–15 record. They would sweep the Charlotte Sting in the first round, but lose to New York again in the Eastern Conference Finals 2 games to 1. This would be the only time the Mystics would win a playoff series until 2017.

In 2003, the Mystics would make a franchise second-worst record in franchise history with a 9–25 record, last in the Eastern Conference.

Rumors of Holdsclaw being unhappy playing in Washington came to a head in 2004 when the Mystics star was sidelined with an unspecified ailment, later revealed to be a bout with depression. With their all-star out, rookie and Duke University standout Alana Beard led a depleted Mystics team to a surprising playoff appearance, the third in Mystics history. They finished the 2004 season at 17–17, but lost in the first round to the Connecticut Sun in 3 games.

Changes in the organization (2005–2007)

The 2005 season saw deep changes in the Mystics organization. Former star Holdsclaw joined the Los Angeles Sparks and the team was sold by Washington Sports and Entertainment to Ted Leonsis. In 2005, the team finished the regular season with a record of 16–18 and failed to make the playoffs.

In 2006, the Mystics posted an 18–16 record thriving under star guard Alana Beard who was drafted in 2004. The Mystics entered the playoffs as the 4th seed. In the first round, Washington was ultimately swept by the Connecticut Sun, the first-seeded team in the East.

The Mystics finished with a 16–18 record in 2007. In a more competitive conference, the team was satisfied by its near-.500 finish. However, at the end of the season, the Mystics had the same record as the New York Liberty. Since the Liberty won the regular-season series against the Mystics, Washington lost the tiebreaker and was eliminated from playoff contention.

At the bottom yet again (2008)

Crystal Langhorne in 2011

In 2008, the Mystics looked to build on their near-playoff appearance in a tough Eastern Conference. They drafted Crystal Langhorne of Maryland with the 6th pick in the 2008 WNBA draft. Plagued again by coaching problems, the Mystics fell to the bottom of the East again, finishing only in front of the expansion Atlanta team. The Mystics had gone through 10 coaches in 11 years of existence, the most in the WNBA. The Mystics front office knew it needed to completely clean out the entire coaching and management staff.

Changes, part two (2009–2012)

During the 2008/2009 WNBA off-season, the Mystics released general manager Linda Hargrove (replaced by Angela Taylor) and interim coach Jessie Kenlaw (replaced by Julie Plank). Under the new general manager, underperforming players were waived as new players were signed. With the second pick in the Houston dispersal draft and the 2009 WNBA draft, the Mystics selected Matee Ajavon and Marissa Coleman, respectively. The Mystics hoped to take advantage of the team changes and finally find consistency in their play.

By the time the season began, the Mystics surprisingly started 3–0. They went 13–18 since the first three games, but their 16–18 record was good enough to reach the playoffs. However, in their playoff comeback, the eventual conference champion Indiana Fever was too much for Washington to handle and the Mystics were swept in the first round. This would be the final season Alana Beard played a game for the Mystics, as she suffered two season-ending injuries in the 2009 and 2010 offseasons, respectively.

The Mystics had their best season ever in 2010. Led by Lindsey Harding, Katie Smith, and Crystal Langhorne, the Mystics took first place in the East with a record of 22–12. However, despite holding a 3–1 edge in regular-season games, they were swept in the first round, including a 24-point blowout in the elimination game, by the eventual WNBA Finals runner-up, the Atlanta Dream.

Prior to the 2011 season, the Mystics made many controversial changes. Coming off their best season in franchise history, many had hoped the team would finally see some consistency; this was not the case. General manager Angela Taylor could not reach an agreement on a new contract and after head coach Julie Plank refused a request to handle both coach and GM duties which was reported as a cost-cutting measure, Mystics assistant coach Trudi Lacey was named to both positions. When asked if the departure of Plank and Taylor was one of the mistakes she said she had learned from at the 2012 WNBA draft lottery, Mystics owner Sheila Johnson said she couldn't discuss that matter, citing ongoing "human resource issues". After the coach/GM change Harding and Smith both demanded trades to specific teams which were granted (to Atlanta and Seattle, respectively). In addition, starting small forward Monique Currie tore her ACL while playing in Europe in January and was lost for most of the WNBA season. As a result of this off-season turmoil, the Mystics record in 2011 fell to 6–28 from 22-12 the year before. Alana Beard also left in free agency, leaving Crystal Langhorne at center and not much else.

After an even worse season in 2012 (5–29), Trudi Lacey was fired as the Mystics coach and GM. Although having the best odds of the four teams involved in the lottery held on September 26, 2012 for the 2013 WNBA draft, the Mystics ended up with the 4th pick, missing out on drafting one of the three highly touted players available in the 2013 WNBA draft; which was Brittney Griner, Elena Delle Donne and Skylar Diggins.

Rebuilding, a bright future (2013–2016)

Despite missing out on a top 3 draft pick, the Mystics remained positive and continued their rebuilding phase while adding some young talent with future potential to their roster. Prior to the 2013 WNBA season, the Mystics drafted Tayler Hill and Emma Meesseman in the 2013 WNBA draft. After the firing of Trudi Lacey, the Mystics hired Mike Thibault as their new head coach and GM.

In the 2013 WNBA season, the Mystics were 17-17 and made the playoffs losing in the first round.

Prior to the 2014 WNBA season, the Mystics drafted Bria Hartley and Stefanie Dolson in the 2014 WNBA draft. In the 2014 WNBA season, Meesseman became the starting center for the Mystics. They finished 16-18 and made the playoffs but lost in the first round yet again.

In the 2015 WNBA season the Mystics made a change in their starting line-up by putting Dolson at center and Meesseman at power forward. The Big-women duo would have breakout seasons as they both were selected into the 2015 WNBA All-Star Game. Later on, in the season, the Mystics finished 18-16 and made the playoffs, but were once again a first-round exit.

Going into the 2016 WNBA season, the Mystics kept acquiring and developing young talent. They drafted Kahleah Copper in the 2016 WNBA draft and put Hill in the starting line-up. Hill would have a breakout season, leading the Mystics in scoring with a career-high 15.4 ppg and was second place in voting for the WNBA Most Improved Player award. The Mystics would unfortunately not make the playoffs, finishing with a disappointing 13–21 record but showed signs of promise in the future. Meesseman continued to improve after her breakout season, averaging a career-high 15.2 ppg. Also on September 7, 2016, the Mystics scored a franchise record of 118 points along with 16 three-pointers (another franchise record) in a 118–81 victory over the Chicago Sky.

On September 28, 2016, they won the second overall pick in the 2017 WNBA draft.

The Delle Donne era (2017–2023)

During the 2016–17 off-season, the Mystics were busy in the trade market. With enough trade assets, they were determined to make a trade for a superstar player. First, on January 30, the team executed a three-way deal with the New York Liberty and Seattle Storm, sending Bria Hartley and Kia Vaughn to the Liberty and receiving the Storm's #6 pick in the 2017 draft. This proved the prelude to an even larger deal as it freed up cap space to land a superstar on their team. Officially announced on February 2, the Mystics traded Kahleah Copper, Stefanie Dolson and the second overall pick in the 2017 WNBA draft to the Chicago Sky in exchange for 2015 league MVP Elena Delle Donne. Also during the off-season in free agency they would sign three-point specialist Kristi Toliver (who had just won a championship with the Los Angeles Sparks in the previous season), upgrading their roster into a championship contender. However, with Meesseman missing some games due to overseas commitment, and Tayler Hill out with a torn ACL midway through the season, the Mystics were the number 6 seed in the league with an 18–16 record. The Mystics defeated the Dallas Wings 86–76 in the first round elimination game. In the second round elimination game, the Mystics defeated the New York Liberty 82–68, advancing past the second round for the first time in franchise history, coming off a record-setting performance by Toliver, as she drained 9 three-pointers in the win. In the semi-finals, the Mystics were defeated by the Minnesota Lynx in a 3-game sweep, who would go on to win the 2017 WNBA championship.

In the 2018 WNBA season, the Mystics played without their starting power forward Emma Meesseman, who played for Team Belgium in the FIBA World Tournament. The Mystics made some adjustments in their starting lineup to compensate for her absence. One month into the season, Tayler Hill made her return to the team after recovering from her ACL injury, but she was traded a month later to the Dallas Wings in exchange for Aerial Powers. That trade helped the Mystics boost their roster's wing depth. The Mystics finished as the #3 seed in the league with a 22–12 record, receiving a bye to the second round. In the second-round elimination game, they defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 96–64, advancing to the semifinals for the second year in a row. In the semifinals, the Mystics defeated the #2 seeded Atlanta Dream in an intense five-game series, advancing to the WNBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. In the finals, they were swept by the Seattle Storm.

Meesseman returned in the 2019 WNBA season, and her return powered the Mystics towards achieving an unprecedented regular season record of 26–8, leading the entire league in total wins and losses and earning them the top spot in the playoffs. With a dogged determination to come back to the Finals and high hopes that a Finals title would at last be within their grasp, the Mystics began their playoff run skipping the two single-elimination rounds to a semifinal series against the Las Vegas Aces, just more than a year after Washington and Las Vegas's NHL teams, the Capitals and the Golden Knights, competed in the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals with the former emerging victorious. The Mystics held off the Aces on the first two home games for an insurmountable 2–0 series lead, before finishing them off in Game 4 after the Aces made a desperate bid to extend the series with a Game 3 defeat. The Mystics then returned to the Finals against the Connecticut Sun, a team that had the second-best record in the regular season that was no less hungry for a championship, having come a win short of one before. This time, the Mystics prevailed through five intense games, by winning the odd-numbered ones and losing the even-numbered ones, with the availability and health of playoffs MVP Elena Delle Donne becoming a crucial factor in the outcome. The Sun were able to tie the series twice by exploiting Donne's early exit in Game 2 due to a back injury, then drawing upon unrelenting resolve and willingness to learn from mistakes after a Game 3 loss to deny the Mystics an opportunity to close the series early on their home court. The Mystics finally earned their first-ever championship by erasing multiple deficits in the final tiebreaker game, before breaking through in the crucial final quarter to hold on to an 89–78 victory. Meesseman was honored as the Finals MVP.

Delle Donne did not play during the 2024 season, and on April 4, 2025, she announced her retirement from professional basketball via Instagram.

Leadership change and rookie core (2025)

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Uniforms

  • 1998–2010: white with black and gold outlines at home, dark blue with black and gold outlines on the road.
  • 2011–2012: white with red and blue outlines at home, red with white and blue outlines on the road. Both jerseys display the Inova Health System name on the front.
  • 2013–2014: A new number font was introduced; Inova retained as a jersey sponsor.
  • 2015–present: Inova sponsorship expires, and the team name (home jerseys) and city name (road jerseys) return.
  • 2016: As part of a league-wide initiative for its 20th season, all games featured all-color uniform matchups. The Mystics retired the white uniform for this season in favor of a red jersey, while retaining the blue jersey as its dark-colored uniform.

Attendance leaders

The Washington Mystics led the WNBA in home attendance in the years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2009. To celebrate the fans turning out for games, six banners were hung from the Verizon Center rafters celebrating each year the Mystics were "Attendance Champions."

The banners were mocked for years before Ted Leonsis, CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, announced in a 2010 blog that the banners would be taken down, reasoning that the "only banners we should display revolve around winning a division or conference or league championship."

The Mystics are now unlikely to lead the WNBA in attendance, since their current home of the CareFirst Arena seats only 4,200. It has been the league's smallest home venue since 2019, with the current second smallest being College Park Center, the home arena of the Dallas Wings, seating 7,000. In 2024 the Mystics played 16 of their 20 home games in CareFirst Arena and 4 in the larger Capital One Arena, which has a capacity of 20,356.

Season-by-season records

SeasonTeamConferenceRegular seasonPlayoff ResultsHead coachWLPCT1998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025Regular seasonPlayoffs
Washington Mystics}};"Washington Mystics
1998East5th327.100Did not qualifyJ. Lewis (2–16)
C. Parson (1–11)
1999East5th1220.375Did not qualifyNancy Darsch
2000East4th1418.438Lost Conference Semifinals (New York, 0–2)N. Darsch (9–11)
D. Walker (5–7)
2001East8th1022.313Did not qualifyTom Maher
2002East3rd1715.531Won Conference Semifinals (Charlotte, 2–0)
Lost Conference Finals (New York, 1–2)Marianne Stanley
2003East7th925.265Did not qualifyMarianne Stanley
2004East4th1717.500Lost Conference Semifinals (Connecticut, 1–2)Michael Adams
2005East5th1618.471Did not qualifyRichie Adubato
2006East4th1816.529Lost Conference Semifinals (Connecticut, 0–2)Richie Adubato
2007East5th1618.471Did not qualifyR. Adubato (0–4)
T. Rollins (16–14)
2008East6th1024.294Did not qualifyT. Rollins (8–14)
J. Kenlaw (2–10)
2009East4th1618.471Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana, 0–2)Julie Plank
2010East1st2212.647Lost Conference Semifinals (Atlanta, 0–2)Julie Plank
2011East6th628.176Did not qualifyTrudi Lacey
2012East6th529.147Did not qualifyTrudi Lacey
2013East3rd1717.500Lost Conference Semifinals (Atlanta, 1–2)Mike Thibault
2014East3rd1618.471Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana, 0–2)Mike Thibault
2015East4th1816.529Lost Conference Semifinals (New York, 1–2)Mike Thibault
2016East6th1321.382Did not qualifyMike Thibault
2017East3rd1816.529Won First Round (Dallas, 1–0)
Won Second Round (New York, 1–0)
Lost WNBA Semifinals (Minnesota, 0–3)Mike Thibault
2018East2nd2212Won Second Round (Los Angeles, 1–0)
Won WNBA Semifinals (Atlanta, 3–2)
Lost WNBA Finals (Seattle, 0–3)Mike Thibault
2019East1st268Won WNBA Semifinals (Las Vegas, 3–1)
Won WNBA Finals (Connecticut, 3–2)Mike Thibault
2020East3rd913Lost First Round (Phoenix, 0–1)Mike Thibault
2021East4th1220Did not qualifyMike Thibault
2022East3rd2214Lost First Round (Seattle, 0–2)Mike Thibault
2023East4th1921Lost First Round (New York, 0–2)Eric Thibault
2024East5th1426Did not qualifyEric Thibault
2025East4th1628Did not qualifyEric Thibault
3975092 Conference Championships
18341 WNBA Championship

Players

Current roster

Other rights owned

SerbiaJelena Milovanović120142009

Former players

  • Nicky Anosike (2011)
  • Alana Beard (2004–2011)
  • Kiesha Brown (2002–2005)
  • Vicky Bullett (2000–2002)
  • Keri Chaconas (1998)
  • Marissa Coleman (2009–2011)
  • Kahleah Copper (2016), now a member of the Phoenix Mercury
  • Monique Currie (2007–2014)
  • Stacey Dales (2002–2004)
  • Lindsey Harding (2009–2010)
  • Bria Hartley (2014–2016), now a member of the Phoenix Mercury
  • Chamique Holdsclaw (1999–2004)
  • Asjha Jones (2002–2003)
  • Zuzana Žirková (2003)
  • Crystal Langhorne (2008–2013)
  • Kara Lawson (2014–2015)
  • Nikki McCray (1998–2001)
  • Taj McWilliams-Franklin (2008)
  • Chasity Melvin (2004–2007, 2009–2010), now an assistant coach of the Phoenix Mercury
  • Coco Miller (2001–2008)
  • DeLisha Milton-Jones (2005–2007)
  • Murriel Page (1998–2005)
  • Nakia Sanford (2003–2010)
  • Katie Smith (2010), now an assistant coach of the Minnesota Lynx
  • Nikki Teasley (2006–2007)
  • Kristi Toliver (2017–2019), now a member of the Los Angeles Sparks
  • Kia Vaughn (2013–2016), now a member of the Phoenix Mercury

Coaches and staff

Owners

  • Abe Pollin, owner of the Washington Wizards (1998–2005)
  • Monumental Sports & Entertainment/Ted Leonsis, owner of the Washington Wizards (2005–present)

Head coaches

Washington Mystics}};"Washington Mystics head coachesNameStartEndSeasonsRegular seasonPlayoffsWLPCTGWLPCTG
Jim LewisDecember 29, 1997July 24, 1998121618000
Cathy ParsonJuly 24, 1998end of 1998111112000
Nancy DarschFebruary 18, 1999July 14, 200022131.40452000
Darrell WalkerJuly 14, 2000end of 200015712022
Tom MaherDecember 21, 2000January 4, 20021102232000
Marianne StanleyApril 5, 2002January 21, 200422640.3946632.6005
Michael AdamsFebruary 17, 2004April 15, 20051171734123
Richie AdubatoApril 21, 2005June 1, 20073343872022
Tree RollinsJune 1, 2007July 19, 20082242852000
Jessie KenlawJuly 19, 2008end of 20081210.16712000
Julie PlankNovember 6, 2008November 1, 20102383068044
Trudi LaceyNovember 1, 2010September 24, 20122115768000
Mike ThibaultDecember 18, 2012November 15, 202210174155329142024
Eric ThibaultNovember 15, 2022October 23, 20242334780022
Sydney JohnsonDecember 23, 2024present000000

General managers

  • Melissa McFerrin (1998–2001)
  • Judy Holland-Burton (2002–2005)
  • Linda Hargrove (2005–2008)
  • Angela Taylor (2009–2010)
  • Trudi Lacey (2011–2012)
  • Mike Thibault (2013–2024)
  • Jamila Wideman (2025–)

Assistant coaches

  • Cathy Parson (1998)
  • Wes Unseld Jr. (1998)
  • Melissa McFerrin (1999–2001)
  • Jenny Boucek (1999)
  • Tyrone Beaman (2000)
  • Marianne Stanley (2001, 2010–2019)
  • Linda Hill-MacDonald (2002–2003)
  • Ledell Eackels (2002–2003)
  • Linda Hargrove (2004)
  • Stephanie Ready (2004)
  • Marynell Meadors (2005–2006)
  • Jeff House (2005–2006)
  • Tree Rollins (2006–2007)
  • Crystal Robinson (2007–2008)
  • Jessie Kenlaw (2007–2008)
  • Lubomyr Lichonczak (2009)
  • Vanessa Nygaard (2009)
  • Vicky Bullett (2009)
  • Trudi Lacey (2009–2010)
  • Laurie Byrd (2011–2012)
  • Jennifer Gillom (2012)
  • Eric Thibault (2013–2022)
  • Asjha Jones (2020–2021)
  • LaToya Sanders (2019–2024)
  • Shelley Patterson (2022–2024)
  • Ashlee McGee (2023–2024)
  • Jessie Miller (2025–present)
  • Emre Vatansever (2025–present)

Statistics

Washington Mystics}};"1990sSeasonIndividualTeam vs OpponentsPPGRPGAPGPPGRPGFG%
1998N. McCray (17.7)A. Santos de Oliveira (8.1)N. McCray (3.1)65.1 vs 80.530.8 vs 34.5.395 vs .468
1999N. McCray (17.5)C. Holdsclaw (7.9)A. Nagy (4.6)65.6 vs 70.231.7 vs 31.1.423 vs .415

|- |

Washington Mystics}};"2000sSeasonIndividualTeam vs OpponentsPPGRPGAPGPPGRPGFG%
2000C. Holdsclaw (17.5)C. Holdsclaw (7.5)A. Nagy (5.1)68.0 vs 69.429.6 vs 28.5.459 vs .451
2001C. Holdsclaw (16.8)C. Holdsclaw (8.8)A. Burgess (2.8)60.3 vs 64.833.0 vs 33.4.386 vs .407
2002C. Holdsclaw (19.9)C. Holdsclaw (11.6)A. Burgess (3.6)66.7 vs 66.132.4 vs 30.9.422 vs .413
2003C. Holdsclaw (20.5)C. Holdsclaw (10.9)S. Dales (3.4)68.5 vs 73.531.9 vs 32.8.409 vs .447
2004C. Holdsclaw (19.0)C. Holdsclaw (8.3)A. Beard (2.7)68.4 vs 70.131.3 vs 32.5.418 vs .429
2005A. Beard (14.1)C. Melvin (5.9)T. Johnson (5.2)66.6 vs 67.827.7 vs 30.1.430 vs .445
2006A. Beard (19.2)C. Melvin (6.6)N. Teasley (5.4)80.8 vs 78.132.4 vs 30.6.462 vs .432
2007A. Beard (18.8)N. Sanford (7.1)N. Teasley (3.3)76.0 vs 77.632.9 vs 35.5.404 vs .417
2008A. Beard (16.1)N. Sanford (5.7)A. Beard (3.5)69.6 vs 76.533.3 vs 32.1.415 vs .443
2009A. Beard (15.9)C. Langhorne (7.9)L. Harding (4.5)76.0 vs 77.135.0 vs 32.7.423 vs .433

|- |

Washington Mystics}};"2010sSeasonIndividualTeam vs OpponentsPPGRPGAPGPPGRPGFG%
2010C. Langhorne (16.3)C. Langhorne (9.7)L. Harding (4.0)76.9 vs 73.334.2 vs 28.3.451 vs .426
2011C. Langhorne (18.2)C. Langhorne (7.6)M. Ajavon (3.1)70.8 vs 78.833.1 vs 31.8.406 vs .465
2012C. Langhorne (14.7)C. Langhorne (6.3)J. Thomas (2.8)68.6 vs 78.331.2 vs 32.6.412 vs .460
2013I. Latta (13.9)C. Langhorne (7.2)I. Latta (4.4)75.5 vs 75.435.5 vs 34.4.413 vs .413
2014I. Latta (12.8)E. Meesseman (6.4)I. Latta (3.3)74.3 vs 73.835.4 vs 33.8.425 vs .412
2015I. Latta (13.4)E. Meesseman (6.3)K. Lawson (3.6)73.6 vs 71.232.4 vs 35.1.421 vs .405
2016T. Hill (15.4)E.Meesseman (5.6)N. Cloud (3.0)80.7 vs 82.232.7 vs 35.2.423 vs .443
2017E. Delle Donne (19.7)K. Thomas (9.6)K. Toliver (3.4)81.7 vs 81.036.3 vs 34.5.416 vs .432
2018E. Delle Donne (20.7)E. Delle Donne (7.2)N. Cloud (4.6)84.5 vs 81.432.6 vs 34.2.448 vs .447
2019E. Delle Donne (19.5)E. Delle Donne (8.3)K. Toliver (6.0)89.3 vs 77.333.4 vs 32.6.469 vs .430

|- |

Washington Mystics}};"2020sSeasonIndividualTeam vs OpponentsPPGRPGAPGPPGRPGFG%
2020M. Hines-Allen (17.0)M. Hines-Allen (8.9)L. Mitchell (5.4)80.0 vs 81.531.5 vs 34.7.433 vs .464
2021T. Charles (23.4)T. Charles (9.6)N. Cloud (6.4)79.8 vs 83.633.3 vs 36.8.410 vs .463
2022E. Delle Donne (17.2)S. Austin (6.5)N. Cloud (7.0)80.2 vs 75.934.9 vs 33.1.439 vs .430
2023E. Delle Donne (16.7)S. Austin (7.0)N. Cloud (6.2)80.5 vs 80.932.3 vs 35.9.428 vs .436
2024A. Atkins (14.9)S. Austin (6.8)J. Vanloo (4.3)79.3 vs 82.331.9 vs 35.4.433 vs .443

|}

Media coverage

All Mystics game are broadcast on Monumental Sports Network and online through the Monumental Sports Network. Broadcasters for Mystics games are Meghan McPeak and Christy Winters Scott.

Some Mystics games are broadcast nationally on ESPN, ESPN2, Ion Television, CBS, CBS Sports Network and ABC.

All-time notes

Regular season attendance

  • A sellout for a basketball game at Capital One Arena is 20,356.
  • A sellout for a game at the CareFirst Arena is 4,200.
Washington Mystics}};"Regular season all-time attendanceYearAverageHighLowSelloutsTotal for yearWNBA game average
199815,910 (1st)20,67410,3641238,64710,869
199915,306 (1st)20,67411,0081244,88910,207
200015,258 (1st)19,09311,0701244,1349,074
200115,417 (2nd)19,09311,3021246,6679,075
200216,202 (1st)19,76614,0040259,2379,228
200314,042 (1st)19,68311,0520238,7108,800
200412,615 (1st)18,4368,7840214,4488,613
200510,089 (2nd)16,6546,0100171,5128,172
20067,662 (7th)15,1035,8920130,2557,476
20077,788 (8th)13,9976,1470132,3967,742
20089,096 (3rd)11,5176,1460154,6377,948
200911,338 (1st)17,2209,7380192,7478,039
20109,357 (3rd)14,3477,5470159,0657,834
201110,531 (1st)13,9547,0280177,6397,892
20128,639 (3rd)12,5695,9800146,8617,452
20137,838 (6th)14,4116,1740133,2427,531
20148,377 (4th)16,1175,8280142,4137,578
20157,710 (4th)17,1145,2620131,0767,184
20166,929 (8th)12,7784,4300117,7957,655
20177,771 (5th)15,5975,3200132,1127,716
20186,136 (8th)11,3544,139098,1766,721
20194,546 (10th)15,3772,347877,2886,535
2020Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was played in Bradenton, Florida without fans.
20212,183 (7th)3,1141,050032,7522,636
20223,983 (9th)7,4312,687971,6865,679
20234,391 (10th)14,4063,058887,8136,615
20246,542 (10th)20,7114,20016130,8309,807

Draft picks

  • 1998 Expansion Draft: Heidi Burge (2), Penny Moore (4), Deborah Carter (6), Tammy Jackson (8)
  • 1998: Murriel Page (3), Rita Williams (13), Angela Hamblin (23), Angela Jackson (33)
  • 1999: Chamique Holdsclaw (1), Shalonda Enis (13), Andrea Nagy (25), Jennifer Whittle (37)
  • 2000: Tausha Mills (2), Tonya Washington (18)
  • 2001: Coco Miller (9), Tamara Stocks (25), Jamie Lewis (41), Elena Karpova (44)
  • 2002: Stacey Dales-Schuman (3), Asjha Jones (4), LaNisha Cartwell (33), Teresa Geter (36)
  • 2003 Miami/Portland Dispersal Draft: Jenny Mowe (8)
  • 2003: Aiysha Smith (7), Zuzana Zirkova (21), Trish Juline (32), Tamara Bowie (36)
  • 2004 Cleveland Dispersal Draft: Chasity Melvin (2)
  • 2004: Alana Beard (2), Kaayla Chones (15), Evan Unrau (28)
  • 2005: Temeka Johnson (6), Erica Taylor (19), Tashia Moorehead (32)
  • 2006: Tamara James (8), Nikki Blue (19), Myriam Sy (33)
  • 2007 Charlotte Expansion Draft: Teana Miller (6)
  • 2007: Bernice Mosby (6), Megan Vogel (19), Gillian Goring (33)
  • 2008: Crystal Langhorne (6), Lindsey Pluimer (19), Krystal Vaughn (33)
  • 2009 Houston Dispersal Draft: Matee Ajavon (2)
  • 2009: Marissa Coleman (2), Camille Lenoir (23), Jelena Milavanovic (24), Josephine Owino (28)
  • 2010 Sacramento Dispersal Draft: Kristin Haynie (6)
  • 2010: Jacinta Monroe (6), Jenna Smith (14), Shanavia Dowdell (18), Alexis Gray-Lawson (30)
  • 2011: Victoria Dunlap (11), Karima Christmas (23), Sarah Krnjic (35)
  • 2012: Natalie Novosel (8), LaSondra Barrett (10), Anjale Barrett (26), Briana Gilbreath (35)
  • 2013: Tayler Hill (4), Nadirah McKenith (17), Emma Meesseman (19)
  • 2014: Stefanie Dolson (6), Carley Mijovic (30), Kody Burke (32)
  • 2015: Ally Malott (8), Natasha Cloud (15), Marica Gajić (32)
  • 2016: Kahleah Copper (7), Lia Galdeira (19), Danaejah Grant (31)
  • 2017: Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (6), Jennie Simms (18), Mehryn Kraker (27)
  • 2018: Ariel Atkins (7), Myisha Hines-Allen (19), Rebecca Greenwell (31)
  • 2019: Kiara Leslie (10), Sam Fuehring (34)
  • 2020: Jaylyn Agnew (24), Sug Sutton (36)
  • 2021: No Draft Picks
  • 2022: Shakira Austin (3), Christyn Williams (14)
  • 2023: Stephanie Soares (4), Elena Tsineke (20), Txell Alarcón (32)
  • 2024: Aaliyah Edwards (6), Kaylynne Truong (21), Nastja Claessens (30)
  • 2025: Sonia Citron (3), Kiki Iriafen (4), Georgia Amoore (6), Lucy Olsen (23), Zaay Green (32)

All-Stars

  • 1999: Chamique Holdsclaw, Nikki McCray
  • 2000: Chamique Holdsclaw, Nikki McCray
  • 2001: Chamique Holdsclaw, Nikki McCray
  • 2002: Stacey Dales-Schuman, Chamique Holdsclaw
  • 2003: Chamique Holdsclaw
  • 2004: None
  • 2005: Alana Beard
  • 2006: Alana Beard
  • 2007: Alana Beard, Delisha Milton-Jones
  • 2008: No All-Star Game
  • 2009: Alana Beard
  • 2010: Monique Currie, Lindsey Harding, Crystal Langhorne
  • 2011: Crystal Langhorne
  • 2012: No All-Star Game
  • 2013: Crystal Langhorne, Ivory Latta
  • 2014: Ivory Latta
  • 2015: Stefanie Dolson, Emma Meesseman
  • 2016: No All-Star Game
  • 2017: Elena Delle Donne
  • 2018: Elena Delle Donne, Kristi Toliver
  • 2019: Elena Delle Donne, Kristi Toliver
  • 2020: No All-Star Game
  • 2021: Ariel Atkins, Tina Charles
  • 2022: Ariel Atkins
  • 2023: Elena Delle Donne
  • 2025: Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Brittney Sykes

Olympians

  • 2000: Nikki McCray, Chamique Holdsclaw
  • 2016: Leilani Mitchell (AUS)
  • 2020: Ariel Atkins, Tina Charles, Leilani Mitchell (AUS)
  • 2024: Jade Melbourne (AUS), Julie Vanloo (BEL)

Honors and awards

  • 1999 Rookie of the Year: Chamique Holdsclaw
  • 1999 All-WNBA Second Team: Chamique Holdsclaw
  • 1999 Peak Performer (FG%): Murriel Page
  • 2000 Peak Performer (FG%): Murriel Page
  • 2001 All-WNBA Second Team: Chamique Holdsclaw
  • 2002 Coach of the Year: Marianne Stanley
  • 2002 Most Improved Player: Coco Miller
  • 2002 All-WNBA Second Team: Chamique Holdsclaw
  • 2002 Peak Performer (Scoring): Chamique Holdsclaw
  • 2002 Peak Performer (Rebounds): Chamique Holdsclaw
  • 2003 Peak Performer (Rebounds): Chamique Holdsclaw
  • 2005 Rookie of the Year: Temeka Johnson
  • 2005 All-Defensive Second Team: Alana Beard
  • 2005 All-Rookie Team: Temeka Johnson
  • 2006 All-WNBA Second Team: Alana Beard
  • 2006 All-Defensive Second Team: Alana Beard
  • 2007 All-Defensive First Team: Alana Beard
  • 2009 Most Improved Player: Crystal Langhorne
  • 2009 All-Defensive Second Team: Alana Beard
  • 2009 All-Rookie Team: Marissa Coleman
  • 2010 All-WNBA Second Team: Crystal Langhorne
  • 2010 All-Defensive Second Team: Lindsey Harding
  • 2013 Coach of the Year: Mike Thibault
  • 2014 All-Rookie Team: Bria Hartley
  • 2017 All-Rookie Team: Shatori Walker-Kimbrough
  • 2018 All-WNBA First Team: Elena Delle Donne
  • 2018 All-Rookie Team: Ariel Atkins
  • 2018 All-Defensive Second Team: Ariel Atkins
  • 2019 Most Valuable Player: Elena Delle Donne
  • 2019 Finals MVP: Emma Meesseman
  • 2019 All-WNBA First Team: Elena Delle Donne
  • 2019 All-Defensive Second Team: Ariel Atkins
  • 2019 All-Defensive Second Team: Natasha Cloud
  • 2020 All-WNBA Second Team: Myisha Hines-Allen
  • 2020 All-Defensive Second Team: Ariel Atkins
  • 2021 Peak Performer (Points): Tina Charles
  • 2021 All-Defensive Second Team: Ariel Atkins
  • 2021 All-WNBA Second Team: Tina Charles
  • 2022 All-Rookie Team: Shakira Austin
  • 2022 All-Defensive First Team: Ariel Atkins
  • 2022 All-Defensive First Team: Natasha Cloud
  • 2022 Peak Performer (Assists): Natasha Cloud
  • 2023 All-Defensive First Team: Brittney Sykes
  • 2023 All-Rookie Team: Li Meng

Hall of Famers

FIBA Hall of Famers

Washington Mystics}}"Washington Mystics Hall of FamersWashington Mystics}}"CoachesNamePositionTenureInducted
Tom MaherHead Coach20012021

References

References

  1. (February 6, 2017). "Mystics Unveil 20TH Anniversary Season Logo". WNBA Enterprises, LLC.
  2. (August 3, 2020). "Team Directory". NBA Media Ventures, LLC.
  3. "Washington Mystics Reproduction Guideline Sheet". WNBA Enterprises, LLC.
  4. (November 2, 2018). "Monumental Sports and Entertainment Announces GEICO as First-Ever Jersey Patch Partner". WNBA Enterprises, LLC.
  5. (2003). "Sheila Johnson: America's first Black female billionaire – Biography". Ebony.
  6. (August 3, 2020). "Mystics Timeline". NBA Media Ventures, LLC.
  7. (February 19, 1998). "W.N.B.A.: EXPANSION DRAFT; Liberty Loses Blades To New Detroit Team". [[The New York Times]].
  8. "MYSTICS: Lincoln Holdings Purchases Mystics".
  9. Kent, Milton. (2010-11-01). "Mystics Coach Julie Plank Let Go; Trudi Lacey Takes Over". AOL.
  10. Hays, Graham. (2012-09-27). "Huge disappointment for Mystics".
  11. Peay, Carla. (2012-09-14). "Mystics fall to Dream, 82-74, their 10th loss in a row". Washington Times.
  12. Parham, Nate. (2011-04-13). "Lindsey Harding Gets Her Trade To The Atlanta Dream: How Did The Washington Mystics Fare?". SBNation/SwishAppeal.
  13. Parham, Nate. (2011-04-30). "Washington Mystics Fill A Need With Little Leverage In Three-Way Trade With Seattle Storm, Indiana Fever". SBNation/SwishAppeal.
  14. Pelton, Kevin. (2011-06-01). "2011 Preview: The Key Addition". WNBA.
  15. Yanda, Steve. (2011-08-31). "Monique Currie to return from ACL injury Thursday". Washington Post.
  16. Peay, Carla. (2012-09-24). "Mystics fire coach-general manager Trudi Lacey". Washington Times.
  17. (2012-09-26). "Mercury get top pick in 2013 draft".
  18. "Mystics WNBA 2013 Season".
  19. "Mystics WNBA 2014 Season".
  20. "Mystics WNBA 2015 Season".
  21. Lee, Albert. (September 7, 2016). "Washington Mystics make two franchise records: one in points per game and one in three-pointers".
  22. Lee, Albert. (September 30, 2016). "Mystics win second draft pick in the WNBA draft".
  23. Voepel, Mechelle. (January 31, 2017). "How good can the Mystics be with Elena Delle Donne?". [[ESPNW]].
  24. (February 2, 2017). "Chicago trades Elena Delle Donne for No. 2 overall pick, 2 players". [[ESPN]].
  25. Wang, Gene. (6 February 2017). "Mystics sign all-star Kristi Toliver as part of plan to build a Warriors-like superteam".
  26. (23 December 2024). "Mystics hire Jamila Wideman as GM, Sydney Johnson as coach".
  27. (16 April 2025). "Washington Mystics set their new course with three first-round draft picks".
  28. (27 February 2025). "Washington Mystics Announce Multiple Home Game Relocations for 2025 WNBA Season".
  29. (7 August 2025). "Mystics deal Aaliyah Edwards to Sun for Jacy Sheldon, pick swap".
  30. (2010-12-02). "MYSTICS: Mystics Introduce New GM/Head Coach Trudi Lacey and Unveil New Team Logo". Wnba.com.
  31. (2010-05-07). "Mystics' record attendance banners taken down".
  32. "Washington City Paper".
  33. "ESPNRadio: Shows, Podcasts, Stations, Live Streaming – ESPN".
  34. "Washington Capitals".
  35. Gallo, Jon. "Washington Mystics". The Washington Post.
  36. "D.C. Sports Bog – Leonsis removes Mystics attendance banners".
  37. (May 3, 2021). "MYSTICS ANNOUNCE 2021 BROADCAST SCHEDULE". Washington Mystics.
  38. (June 18, 2007). "WNBA Extends TV Rights Deal with ESPN and ABC". Sports Business.
  39. (2020-06-15). "WNBA Announces Plan To Tip Off 2020 Season".
  40. (2020-06-15). "WNBA announces plans for 2020 season to start late July in Florida".
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