2023-24 WNBA Offseason Guides: Washington Mystics

As the WNBA playoff eliminations continue, so does our series detailing exactly where teams stand heading into 2024, this time with Washington

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Previously published 2023-24 Offseason Guides:
Seattle Storm
Phoenix Mercury
Indiana Fever
Los Angeles Sparks
Chicago Sky

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Photo Credit: Chris Poss

2023 record: 19-21, eliminated 2-0 in first round by New York

2024 draft picks: The Mystics have their own first-round pick, which will be at No. 6 overall. They gave up their second-rounder in a trade for Amanda Zahui B, but got one back from Dallas in the Stephanie Soares deal. And they still have their own third-rounder.

Free agents: Elena Delle Donne (UFA), Natasha Cloud (UFA), Kristi Toliver (UFA), Tianna Hawkins (UFA), Li Meng (Reserved)

Under contract: Ariel Atkins, Brittney Sykes, Myisha Hines-Allen, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Shakira Austin, Queen Egbo

2023 performance: 2023 was a season full of "what might have been"s for the Washington Mystics. They went into the year with fairly high expectations, having replaced Alysha Clark with Brittney Sykes and looking forward to a second-year jump from Shakira Austin, plus a new head coach but one everyone was familiar with in Eric Thibault. If they could just stay healthy...

Their offense was shaky early in the season but their defense was elite enough that they were 8-4 anyway when Austin was carried off the court due to a hip injury. A few games later Elena Delle Donne was gone as well, and then Ariel Atkins followed. They went 3-8 in the stretch of games without all three of those starters, and the interior defense fell apart without their two primary posts. Still, they managed to hang around the playoff picture (partly because a ridiculous two-thirds of this league makes the postseason) and confirm their spot in the final week. If they'd somehow gotten healthy at the right time, they'd have been everybody's 'dark horse' upset pick. But Atkins was in a mask, Delle Donne tweaked her back during Game 2, and Austin never played in the postseason after landing painfully on her previously-injured hip 10 days before the end of the regular season. The Mystics still put up a spirited effort against many people's title-favourite in New York, especially in a Game 2 overtime classic that will likely be remembered as The Natasha Cloud Game. But it wasn't enough, and you wonder if that will be the final curtain call for this core group in Washington.

Offseason finances: Having signed Atkins to a two-year extension late in the season, the Mystics now have six players under contract for next year for a total of $823,391. That would leave $639,809 in cap space for the remaining five or six roster spots. Assume that group all returns, add their first-round pick and a minimum salary, and you'd have $502,216 left. If they basically wanted to run back this roster, and everyone was agreeable to that plan, that looks like it might well be enough. Maybe something along the lines of $200,000 each for Cloud and Delle Donne and the rest to Tianna Hawkins as a dependable backup. If either of the UFA starters wants to push for significantly more - their ceiling on the open market is the regular max of $208,219, but the Mystics are allowed to pay them up to the supermax of $241,984 - then it gets more complicated. First, you have to decide if they're worth it. Then, you have to make the maths work with the rest of the roster if you're not just letting them walk.

Offseason priorities: To a certain extent, players may make some of their major decisions for them. But assuming the decision is the Mystics' own, it depends on whether they think this is worth trying again. As detailed above, the numbers work out fairly reasonably to bring back this group, but unless someone is taking a major discount you're probably not going to be able to add much. And Elena Delle Donne is now 34 years old, on top of having played a total of 51 WNBA regular season games over the last four years (at the cost of nearly $1 million in salary to the Mystics). She said she felt healthier than ever before this season, and got hurt. She said she felt good for the playoffs, and with only a minor tweak she had stretched out during Game 2, went 9-for-28 from the field without hitting a three in either game. She was still a very good player in the opening six weeks of the season before her injury - albeit not the absolute game-changing elite superstar of her peak - but you just cannot count on her being available. Cloud has been the heart of this franchise and their emotional leader, but her exceptional "walk the walk" Game 2 against New York did feel a little bit like it might be a farewell. Was this just the emotional fallout of a heartbreaking playoff exit, or a player who knows an era of their career is ending?

It's interesting that they got a late-season contract extension done with Atkins, but not with Cloud or Delle Donne. That could suggest a variety of things - they just couldn't find a number where everyone was happy, the players want to see what their options are as free agents, the team is considering what it can do with the cap space if they usher the player out the door - but at a minimum, it means re-signing isn't an absolute fait accompli for both. Either could also be cored by the Mystics if they wanted to use that option, although they might be concerned that the player would sign the supermax qualifying offer that comes with the tag. That's likely more than they're hoping to pay either player, even assuming they want to keep both around.

So they have pivot points for the options with their roster. Obviously, if Delle Donne and/or Cloud leave (or retirement wouldn't be a huge surprise from Delle Donne after all her injury and illness issues), then they have cap space to go shopping. Without Cloud they'd need a point guard unless they want to turn everything over to Brittney Sykes, so maybe Jordin Canada? Skylar Diggins-Smith? If Delle Donne was gone then there'd be a hole inside, so maybe try to tempt Jonquel Jones back to the area where she went to school? Convince Brittney Griner her political efforts could be better pursued while playing in DC? There are certainly options.

We don't really know if Eric Thibault is a good head coach yet. Did he do a good job getting this team to around .500 despite the injuries? Or would a more experienced leader have kept them higher in the standings and at least avoided New York in the first round? He'll undoubtedly get at least one more year to prove himself. With Atkins, Austin, Sykes and hopefully an increasingly healthy Myisha Hines-Allen onboard they're too good to tank, so one way or another you reload. It's just going to be interesting to see exactly which other pieces are going to be loaded.

Future assets: On top of this year's No. 6 overall they have their own first-rounder in 2025 and an extra one coming from Atlanta thanks to the aforementioned Soares trade (Dallas acquired it in the earlier Allisha Gray deal). So don't be surprised if trades are also involved in strengthening this roster for next year - they have the assets to work with.

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