Tag: Washington Mystics

The Washington Mystics are slowly approaching dumpster fire status

The Washington Mystics are a mess.

With the WNBA offseason comes change, but sometimes, that change can shake a franchise’s future. If the Washington Mystics don’t figure things out quickly, their situation will turn into a dumpster fire, and that is not where they want to be.

The 2023 season was not very kind to Washington. The franchise was plagued by many injuries, including significant injuries to Elena Delle Donne, Kristi Toliver and Shakira Austin. Still, Washington was riding confidently into the postseason, supported by a gutsy last-second heave from Brittney Sykes to beat the New York Liberty during their last regular season game — only to lose to New York in the first round just days later.

In December 2023, Kristi Toliver retired, opting to become the associate head coach for the Phoenix Mercury. Owner Ted Leonsis also unveiled plans that could potentially uproot the Mystics to Capital One Arena, leaving them vulnerable to poor attendance records. But the pain doesn’t stop there.

This month, there were franchise-shifting moves. Natasha Cloud signed with the Mercury (where Toliver is now on staff), and on February 7, news broke that Elena Delle Donne is stepping away from basketball.

As we’ve seen with the Chicago Sky this offseason, things can change very quickly. Like Chicago, it’s hard to understand where Washington is going, and they almost certainly look like a dumpster fire waiting to happen. Perhaps these are the first steps to rebuilding and a sign of things to come. But if they aren’t, fans are not going to be happy with the shaky foundation ownership has seemingly created.

Well, at least Washington fans have the Wizards to fall back on — oh no!

How the Washington Mystics could be affected by the Wizards and Capitals move to Virginia

The Washington Mystics could be on the move, but hold the celebration.

The WNBA is rapidly growing, but the Washington Mystics’ potential move to a new arena is the latest example of not reading the room.

Entertainment & Sports Arena has been the home of the Mystics since 2019. It’s located near the heart of Southeast Washington, D.C. and gives super intimate vibes with the 4,200-seat capacity building that saw Washington win its first title.

But that might be changing soon in stunning fashion.

On Wednesday, Mystics owner Ted Leonsis announced an agreement (pending approval) to create an Entertainment District in Alexandria, Virginia at Potomac Yard. The deal moves the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards to the new arena by 2028.

It also means the Washington Mystics could be potentially uprooted.

On the surface, Leonis’s move seems admirable. Moving the Mystics gives them an upgraded facility and the ability to attract more fans — almost 16,000 more — to women’s sports.

However, more than one thing can be true: This disturbs the fan culture and experience the Mystics have already built, and it forces their growth to be questioned. (And that’s on top of how the Wizards’ and Capitals’ move could affect the culture and community.)

The Mystics play in one of the smaller arenas in the league, and even if they maintain their standard attendance levels moving forward, it could take some time to fill Capital One Arena to capacity.

That’s no fault of the Mystics, who are doing their part to support the growth of the WNBA. But I imagine forthcoming photos of empty seats during home games and how they will imply that “no one watches women’s sports” — when that’s not the case — and it infuriates me.

Maybe Leonis is betting on that growth. Perhaps he’s got a vision that I do not understand. But, right now, this feels awfully disheartening to those in the Mystics organization, and I can’t shake that feeling.

Everything you should know about the WNBA’s expansion team

It’s provocative. It gets the people going!

Hoopers, assemble! The WNBA announced plans for an expansion team Thursday, and the news makes me want to relive my glory days as an only-in-my-driveway 3-point specialist.

It seems the WNBA has been listening to everyone begging for expansion because it’s partnering with the Golden State Warriors to add an expansion team to the league. The Warriors are the sixth NBA franchise to have a WNBA team, joining others who have made the jump, such as the Brooklyn Nets (New York Liberty,) Washington Wizards (Washington Mystics) and Minnesota Timberwolves (Minnesota Lynx).

Commissioner Cathy Engelbert expressed her excitement: “We are thrilled about expanding to the Bay Area and bringing the WNBA to a region with passionate basketball fans and a strong history of supporting women’s basketball,” via the league’s official site.

Here’s everything we know about the expansion team so far.

This story will be updated.

Elena Delle Donne leads Mystics to win over first-place Aces in return

The Mystics held the Aces below 70 points for just the second time this season in their 78-62 victory.

Washington Mystics player Elena Delle Donne returned to the court in spectacular fashion. She had a team-high 21 points in just 22 minutes of play in the Mystics’ 78-62 win over the Las Vegas Aces.

Delle Donne was nursing a hip injury before her return but admitted she isn’t playing scared.

“I’m playing free,” Delle Donne said. “I don’t think about injuries or, ‘Oh, what if I step on a foot again.’ It’s basketball, and you’ve got to just enjoy the moments you’re out there and play as hard as you can.”

The Mystics held the Aces below 70 points, which is just the second time this season the Aces failed to cross that mark. Aces superstar A’ja Wilson recorded her 20th double-double of the season, which is the second-most in the WNBA this season. The Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas holds the top spot with 25 this season.

“It felt so good to be out there … just to have the whole group out there felt good,” Delle Donne said. “I think you could see it; we were just playing with joy, sharing the ball, trusting in each other. That’s what it can look like.”

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A passionate Lynx fan drowned out the broadcast crew during the final moments of a close win

“Take them down, finish it!!!”

Thanks to dynamite performances from Diamond Miller and Napheesa Collier, the Minnesota Lynx didn’t need much help securing a 97-92 win over the Washington Mystics Wednesday night.

They seemingly got it anyway, in the form of a fan near the courtside. As the Lynx prepared to close Washington out, the NBATV broadcast panned to this fan and his very evident passion. While the crew was trying to analyze the final few moments and set the stage, his loud energy simply drowned the broadcast out. It was to the point where you could barely hear the announcing team.

I know the camera panned over to him for that passion specifically, but that can’t have been what the broadcast planned for at such a critical moment.

Honestly? That’s what it’s all about. A fan getting invested in a close game is why we watch sports in the first place. So be it if it rubs against the analysis for a moment or two.

Watch: Jewell Loyd ties WNBA record with nine 3-pointers in a game

She is on fire this season.

Former Notre Dame guard [autotag]Jewell Loyd[/autotag] already is having her best season ever with the Seattle Storm. Plus, she seemingly is pushing herself to new heights every game. The latest example came in the Storm’s 93-86 loss to the Washington Mystics. Despite the defeat, Loyd did everything she could in scoring 39 points and tying the WNBA single-game record with nine 3-pointers:

Loyd had a chance to break the record at the final buzzer, but her shot went off the rim. The way the All-Star and former top overall pick has been playing, don’t be surprised if she has another chance to break that record this season. For now, she’ll have to be content with matching the mark set by the Indiana Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell in 2019.

As well as Loyd as played, it hasn’t be enough to prevent a six-game losing streak for the Storm that has given them the league’s worst record at 4-16. All she can do is continue to play well. At least Storm fans can look forward to that.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Washington Mystics’ Natasha Cloud shares heartfelt message on Twitter

Cloud’s message inspired quite a few people and has over 40,000 impressions on Twitter in less than 24 hours.

Natasha Cloud is no stranger to criticism about her life, her game and her activism, but it doesn’t stop her from fulfilling what she sees as her purpose. On Thursday, Cloud took to Twitter to share some thoughts and how she views her role in the world.

“My passion, my heart, my fearlessness of speaking up when I do not agree, my innate protection of people/things I love & care for, my light (which involves my loud & annoying goofiness) are always & have always been vilified,” Cloud tweeted.

Cloud is always dancing on the sidelines during games and making fans and teammates laugh. But life isn’t all fun and games, and Cloud takes the serious parts of life with a sense of purpose. She is a social justice activist and is always on the frontline fighting for body autonomy, against police brutality and for equal rights.

I truly believe God intended my heart to be a servant to others; Whether that’s my activism, my career, my family/friends, my community, etc. … He made my heart big enough to protect, to fight for and to give all of my annoying ass energy, light and love to everyone.

She mentioned that at one point she thought she should hide her light and not be her authentic self since she felt others mistook her kindness for weakness and took advantage of her. However, she knew she had a bigger calling and that her unique talents and heart were needed.

Cloud’s message inspired quite a few people and has over 40,000 impressions on Twitter in less than 24 hours. She is in the Washington Mystics’ training camp where she is undoubtedly inspiring her teammates both on and off the court. Thank you, Natasha, for sharing your wise words and taking time out of your hectic schedule to pour into others.

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Athletes Unlimited: First women’s sports league to be named among ‘World’s Most Innovative Companies’ by Fast Company

Athletes Unlimited, a professional sports league, is the first women’s sports league to earn this Fast Company honor.

Fast Company put out its list of 10 most innovative companies in sports of 2023. Athletes Unlimited, a professional sports league focusing on elite women athletes, is the first women’s sports league to earn this Fast Company honor. In addition, Athletes Unlimited is the first professional sports league to be organized as a Public Benefit Corporation and the first U.S.-based pro sports league to be committed to carbon neutrality.

The league was founded by Jon Patricof and Jonathan Soros on March 3, 2020, and has four women’s professional sports under its umbrella: softball, volleyball, basketball and lacrosse. In 2021, it added volleyball and in 2022, it added basketball. The power is in the hands of the players and there are no owners for the teams. Players make decisions both on and off their field of play, which gives the entire league a player-centric ethos. Each league has a player executive committee that meets weekly with Athletes Unlimited staff to work on all aspects of the league, from adding players to the roster to establishing the rules and scoring system.

Players in all sports, including basketball, compete under a point system where players and teams are rewarded for individual and team performance. Each week the four highest-ranked players are appointed as captains and redraft teams for the following week’s competition. This not only allows fans to see different matchups each week, but it also allows the players to get a feel for different schemes and teammates. The league has big-name sponsors including Nike, Gatorade, Topps, Caesars, Sportradar and GEICO.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpJhMPNvJXF/

Prominent international and WNBA players play in the league, which does not conflict with their seasons. WNBA stars such as Las Vegas Aces guard Sydney Colson, Los Angeles Sparks guard Lexie Brown and Washington Mystics guard Natasha Cloud bring the heat each week on the court. The WNBA only has 144 roster spots, so leagues such as Athletes Unlimited allow athletes to play domestically and not have to pursue opportunities overseas.

WNBA players playing abroad were put in the international spotlight when WNBA champion and Olympic medalist Brittney Griner was detained in  Russia while she was playing overseas. But things are changing for the better and women’s college basketball fans are able to follow the careers of their favorite players past college with easier access thanks to leagues like Athletes Unlimited.

The games are fan and athlete-focused, including free autograph signings at the end of each game along with free swag and custom posters for each week. Dallas is the home for Season 2 of Athletes Unlimited Basketball and one ticket allows entry to two games.

Tickets start at $15 for the games.

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This lucky bettor made more than $400,000 on inexplicable WNBA road underdog parlay

What a gamble.

If you’re going to bet $7 thousand on an all-road underdog parlay, I can only assume you have money to burn. But what can I actually say when it pays off?

Lucky bet. That’s what I’ll go with. It was a lucky bet – albeit it a very lucrative one in the case of a DraftKings bettor who ended up with more than $400 thousand from a three-leg WNBA parlay on Saturday.

The first leg, a Phoenix Mercury win over the Dallas Wings, may have been the least shocking outcome of the three. But even that was far from a given considering it was Phoenix’s first game since parting with second-leading scorer Tina Charles. At +7.5 on Tipico Sportsbook, the Mercury were actually bigger underdogs than the LA Sparks (+6.5) against the Seattle Storm.

The Washington Mystics (+9.5), who capped this parlay with a win over the Las Vegas Aces, were actually the biggest underdogs of the three winners despite having the best record of the three. That tends to happen when you’re playing against a team favored to win the league championship at +110 odds. Their one-point overtime win in the late game was the one that made our lucky bettor sweat the most.

But like I said, this bettor obviously had money to blow and took a swing. And boy did they connect.

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W Bets: Take Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty as home underdogs vs. the Washington Mystics

Sabrina Ionescu’s star turn has New York on the rise.

The New York Liberty and Washington Mystics play against one another on Thursday night as the only game on the WNBA’s calendar. Per Tipico Sportsbook, the Liberty are 4.5-point dogs, which feels wrong to me.

But I get it, the Mystics are a really good basketball team. Their 10-6 record is good for fifth in the W so far, and the returns on Mike Thibault’s team have been great after an injury-plagued 2021 season. Yet, they’ve lost three of their last six games, including a 74-70 loss to the Liberty — a game in which Elena Delle Donne did play in.

But now EDD is listed as out for Thursday’s contest with New York as she receives a rest day to help keep her body fresh. That unavailability makes New York covering the spread an enticing bet. New York on the moneyline (+165) is even plausible when you consider how well the Liberty have played recently after beginning the season 1-7.

Since the wildly underwhelming start, the Liberty have gone 4-2, and is a Courtney Vandersloot game-winning 3-pointer away from being 5-1.

New York’s resurgence has had very much to do with Sabrina Ionescu turning it up several notches. In this month alone (six games) she’s averaging 24.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 3.2 threes per game. Additionally, she’s had a few historic performances along the way.

Natasha Howard is also playing some of her best basketball of the season, as are Stef Dolson and Han Xu.

Even without Delle Donne in the lineup, it will be a challenge for the Liberty to beat a touch, veteran, well-coached Mystics squad. But I like their chances, given their recent momentum and the fact that they get to play this game at home.

My money is on New York.

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