The Washington Mystics have landed three first-round picks in the 2025 WNBA draft. After a trade that sent six-year vet Ariel Atkins to the Chicago Sky, the Mystics now obtain the third, fourth, and sixth overall pick.

They also housed the sixth pick from a trade involving the Atlanta Dream.

Atkins is the last member of the 2019 Mystics team, which won its first and only WNBA Finals. She was a key contributor in the finals, averaging 9.6 points while shooting 44 percent from the field.

Atkins became one of the Mystics’ go-to scorers in the post-championship era. She even became a two-time All-Star in 2021 and 2022. Atkins is coming off a season leading the Mystics in scoring with 14.9 points per game.

But as the Sky pair rising star Angel Reese with a scorer, the Mystics have grabbed a key opportunity with these picks to bolster the franchise in the right direction of its rebuild.

Entering the draft, the team had the lowest odds of winning the lottery, at 10.4 percent.

• No. 1 pick, Dallas Wings, 22.7% odds
• No. 2 pick, Los Angeles Sparks, 44.2% odds
• No. 3 pick, Chicago Sky, 22.7 odds
• No. 4 pick, Washington Mystics, 10.4% odd

Now, the Mystics have a chance to build their future with these three upcoming picks. As the college regular season ends, here’s who the Mystics should select in the first round.

What the Mystics need to draft

University of Connecticut guard Paige Bueckers expects to be the consensus number-one pick. Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles should follow Bueckers with the second overall pick. The Mystics could package their draft capital to move up for Miles. Yet, Washington has an opportunity to maximize their draft capital with three top prospects.

This draft class features a ton of potential in its prospects. The Mystics’ draft decisions may change as the 2024-25 college basketball season rolls on. But one thing is sure: the Mystics need a better offense.

With a record of 14-26, finishing ninth in the “W,” the Mystics were ninth in the league in scoring, averaging 79.8 points per game. They were first in turnovers, with 15.1. They were also second to last in defensive rating across the league.

So, considering these factors, some candidates are worthy of the three draft picks.

No. 3 pick: Sonia Citron, 3-and-D wing from Notre Dame

Sonia Citron is a 6’1 guard for the sixth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. She’s averaging 13.8 points per game, shooting 49 percent from the field and 36 percent from three in 29 games.

She’s coming off a good run in the ACC tournament, scoring nine points in three games and shooting 43 percent from the field. Despite the disappointing 61-56 loss to Duke in the semifinals, Citron put up nine points, four steals, and two blocks in Notre Dame’s last game before the tournament.

Her addition to the team could provide a better output for the Mystics on both sides of the floor. Citron’s strength is moving off the ball and knocking down the three. She can also defend at a high level, as she averages two steals per game. Her defense can boost the team’s struggles on that side of the ball.

Citron makes a quick impact on the team as a shooter and defender.

No. 4 pick: Dominique Malonga, Center/Forward from France and LDLC ASVEL

Dominique Malonga is an outstanding draft prospect from France heading to the Europe side of basketball. She is also coming off an Olympic debut with France’s national team.

In 2022, Malonga went viral for completing a drop-step into a dunk at the age of 16.

At 6’6″, she is averaging nearly a double-double with LDLC. Malonga scores 15.6 points, 10 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game.

Malonga is an excellent rebounder and inside defender. Her ability to block shots complements her rebounding efforts and makes her a standout. In addition to her fantastic defense, Malonga is an excellent shot-creator in the post. She even has a deadly one-legged fadeaway in her arsenal.

After missing out on Angel Reese in last year’s draft, this can be the perfect pick to quickly compensate for the team’s lack of rebounding and defense.

No. 6 pick: Te-Hina Paopao, a combo guard from South Carolina

Te-Hina Paopao is a 5’9 combo guard for the defending National champions, South Carolina. She’s averaging 9.8 points, three assists, and a steal per game while shooting 44 percent from the field and 36 percent from three.

She can be another offensive addition for the Mystics. Paopao is a guard from a winning team who can do it all offensively.

Paopao struggled recently in the SEC tournament, averaging 6.6 points and three assists while shooting 30 percent from the field. Despite the offensive struggle, she pulled down five rebounds in a 64-45 win over Texas in the SEC Championship.

She’s a high-IQ guard who can make great decisions and make plays for others. She can score with a nice pull-up game and her catch-and-shoot skills.

Paopao can learn a lot from the veteran guards already on the roster and become the franchise point guard.

The Mystics’ rebuild starts next spring with their three first-round picks. They hope to strike gold for the upcoming 2025 draft. As the college basketball season continues to close, their decision regarding who will face their rebuild will become more apparent.

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After an uneventful rookie season in the WNBA last year, Washington Mystics forward Aaliyah Edwards has garnered attention with her meteoric rise during the Unrivaled 1-v-1 tournament.

Edwards shocked the basketball world by skunking two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart (12-0) on Monday to advance to the quarterfinals of the inaugural tournament. An eight-seed beating a top seed in the 30-women tournament was newsworthy enough. Yet, Edwards topped one of the world’s premier women’s basketball players without Stewart scoring a single point.

Edwards’ dominating win had the basketball world buzzing.

Stewart tipped her cap to Edwards, pushing her Mist BC teammate to continue throughout the tournament.

Edwards obliged, beating two-time WNBA All-Star and 2017 Rookie of the Year Allisha Gray 12-6 to advance to the semifinals.

The win earned Aaliyah Edwards at least $25,000. She will vow to earn another $50,000 when she faces another No. 1 seed, Arike Ogunbowale, on Friday. The winner of the tournament earns $200,000 and $10,000 to each of her Unrivaled teammates.

Aaliyah Edwards breaking out of shadows of historic draft class

Edwards, a Canadian native, starred at the University of Connecticut. She was a first-team All-Big East and two-time All-American, winning Most Outstanding Player of the Big East Tournament in 2023. However, Edwards took a backseat to more notable women’s college basketball stars Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Cameron Brink.

Thus, when the Washington Mystics selected Edwards sixth overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft with Reese still on the board, a large contingent of fans questioned the team, forever linking the two.

Reese proved to be a polarizing figure in their first season in the WNBA. Reese became an All-Star, finished runner-up in the Rookie of the Year voting to Clark, and broke multiple WNBA records. Meanwhile, Edwards had a modest time with the Mystics. She averaged a pedestrian 7.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in 34 games, including 17 starts.

Coincidentally, the Mystics parted ways with general manager Mike Thibault and his son, head coach Eric Thibault, after the season.

Aaliyah Edwards taking advantage of Unrivaled timing

After the disappointing rookie campaign, Edwards committed to the new 3-v-3 league, Unrivaled, co-founded by Stewart and fellow WNBA star Napheesa Collier. Playing for Mist BC, Edwards averages 9.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in eight games.

Still, Edwards has taken a backseat to fellow 2024 draft classmate and Mist teammate Rickea Jackson. However, Edwards has used the exciting 1-v-1 tournament to introduce herself to the casual fans.

Her back-to-back upsets over Stewart and Gray have made her overwhelming the lovable underdog heading into Friday’s final four. Fans are now buzzing about Aaliyah Edwards. Win or lose, she expects to carry the momentum into her sophomore year with the Mystics.

The Mystics introduced a new head coach and GM on Wednesday. Washington expects to undergo a rebuild, as the team has the fourth and sixth overall picks in this year’s draft. Edwards is presumably going to be a core piece in the franchise’s restructure.

Edwards is taking advantage of the opportunity to garner notice through Unrivaled. Clark and Brink opted against playing in the inaugural season. The headlines have followed Reese even in Unrivaled. However, the former national champion did not compete in the 1-v-1 tournament. Jackson got eliminated in the second round.

Aaliyah Edwards is finally a talking piece for fans. It’s her time to shine. A win over Arike may break the internet. Nonetheless, she is proving to be someone fans can look for going into the 2025 WNBA season. Hopefully, she can carry over her breakout with Unrivaled to the W.

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The Washington Mystics were without star Elena Delle Donne for Sunday’s 97-84 loss to the Dallas Wings. Delle Donne missed the game with a hip injury, Washington head coach Eric Thibault announced, per Tyler Bynum of NBC Sports Washington.

Delle Donne had returned to the court after a 12-game absence from an ankle injury on Friday. However, the two-time WNBA MVP played 11 minutes after she “jarred” her hip during a “funny stop.” in Washington’s win over Indiana. She did not play in the second half.

Thibault said the hip injury developed during Delle Donne’s recovery from her ankle injury. Yet, she felt ready to play. Unfortunately, the ailment has sidelined her. There is no timetable for her return.

Delle Donne won her second WNBA MVP in 2019, the same year the Mystics claimed its first WNBA championship. She had three herniated discs in her back during that title run. The injury forced her to undergo surgery in 2020.

She rehabbed and returned for three games in 2021. Last season she played 25 games and entered this year feeling her healthiest in the recent past. Yet, she’s now missed half of the Mystics’ 32 games.

The Mystics have a 15-17 record and are seventh in the WNBA standings. But they have lost seven of their last ten with injuries piling.

Thibault assures that Delle Donne’s ankle feels good. But the hip is now another ailment that will hamper her.

Elena Delle Donne will turn 34 years old next month. She is in the final year of a four-year.

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The Washington Mystics got their stars back Friday against the Indiana Fever. Elena Delle Donne and Ariel Atkins returned to the court after being sidelined with ankle injuries. They joined center Shakira Austin, who returned from a lengthy absence with a hip injury the game before.

Delle Donne’s return was short-lived. Despite being on a minutes restriction, the two-time WNBA MVP’s night prematurely ended after a mere 11 minutes and six points.

Mystics head coach Eric Thibault said Delle Donne was a “little tight” at halftime, and the team sided with caution, per Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post. Thibault said it was unclear if Delle Donne was ailed by her injured ankle or something else.

Elena Delle Donne has missed 15 games this season primarily due to a sprained left ankle. She initially injured her ankle on June 30. She returned on July 9 but re-injured the ankle in the same game.

A back injury had limited Delle Donne the previous three seasons. She was diagnosed with three herniated discs during Washington’s WNBA championship run in 2019. She later had surgery. Until this season, she was hampered while recovering.

Friday night, the Mystics rallied without its star behind another big night from Brittney Sykes. Sykes scored a game-high 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field, including 5-of-8 from three.

Washington broke a 71-71 tie in the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run capped by a tip-in by Austin with 37 seconds remaining. The Mystics pulled off an 83-79 win to improve to 15-16 on the season.

Atkins, who had been out since July 11, scored six points in 14 minutes. She also was on a minutes restriction. Austin finished with six points, as well, in 15 minutes. She played 14 minutes on Aug. 13.

After the win, Austin said she felt “better than last game.”

She missed 16 games with a hip strain.

Emma Cannon led Indiana (8-24) with 17 points off the bench. No. 1 overall draft pick Aliyah Boston had 16 points and a game-high ten rebounds in a losing effort.

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The Washington Mystics will start the second half of its regular season on Wednesday, and they may be without its top three players. Monday, the Mystics announced guard Ariel Atkins will be out for two weeks with a left ankle sprain. She will get re-evaluated in two weeks.

The Mystics will be without leading scorer and two-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne, center Shakira Austin, and Atkins for the foreseeable future.

Delle Donne has been out since re-injuring her left ankle in a game on July 9. Washington says she is out for at least two weeks, which forced her to miss Sunday’s WNBA All-Star Game.

Austin has not played since June 25, when she injured her hip in an awkward fall during a steal attempt. Washington said she would be out three weeks before getting re-evaluated. Sunday marked three weeks, but there’s no word on her status.

Combined, the injured trio averages 41.2 points per game. Ariel Atkins accounts for 12.5 points. She is also the Mystics’ all-time leader in three-pointers.

The Mystics host the Indiana Fever on Wednesday. Washington is tied with the Atlanta Dream for fourth in the WNBA standings with an 11-8 record. Veteran forward Brittney Sykes expects to take the lead in scoring. She is second on the team with 13.1 points per game, but she is averaging 18.5 points since Austin’s injury last month.

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Even on a night of celebration, the Washington Mystics got bitten by the injury bug once again. Two-time All-Star Ariel Atkins set the franchise record for most threes made in the first quarter of Tuesday’s game against the Seattle Storm. However, her night ended early as she got carted off the court with an ankle injury.

Atkins surpassed Ivory Latta with her first and only made three of the game. Atkins now has 309 three-pointers made in a Mystics uniform. Unfortunately, she did not play much longer after that, as it appeared she got her ankle stepped on. After getting attended to, she got carted off the court.

The Mystics still beat the Storm despite 39 points from Jewell Lloyd. Washington will take the win, but the focus is on the health of Atkins.

The team is already without leader Elena Delle Donne, second-year center Shakira Austin, and cagey veteran Kristi Toliver. Delle Donne will be out at least two weeks after reinjuring her ankle in Washington’s loss Sunday against Connecticut.

Austin has been out since June 25 after she suffered a hip injury. Toliver has dealt with plantar fasciitis since mid-June.

Atkins has been initially diagnosed with an ankle sprain. Mystics head coach Eric Thibault said Atkins has a “good bit of swelling” following the game, per Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post. The team will know more in a couple of days.

The good thing is Atkins will have some time to recover with the All-Star break. Washington won’t play against until July 19. Losing another core player is damaging to the Mystics.

Ariel Atkins entered Tuesday’s game second on the team in scoring with 12.9 points per game. Depending on Atkins’ status, Washington could be without three of its top-five scorers. Austin was the second behind Delle Donne before her injury.

The Mystics have an 11-8 record and are fourth in the WNBA standings heading into the break.

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Washington Mystics star Elena Delle Donne was named to her seventh WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday as a reserve. However, all eyes are focused on Delle Donne’s health.

Delle Donne injured her ankle in the fourth quarter of the Mystics’ 94-89 loss to the Atlanta Dream Friday. She had a fantastic game, scoring 31 points on 13-of-19 shooting. It is her most points in a game since returning from multiple back surgeries. She also moved into seventh place on the Mystics’ all-time rebounding list with five boards in the game.

However, Delle Donne rolled her ankle defending a drive by Atlanta’s Nia Coffey on one of the final defensive possessions.

Delle Donne lay on the arena floor, writhing in pain. Her teammates gathered around her before she got helped off the floor.

Mystics head coach Eric Thibault announced Delle Donne sprained her left ankle. The team sent her back to Washington to get an MRI on Saturday, per Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post.

The team announced Elena Delle Donne has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Dallas Wings.

The Mystics are already hurting with injuries to key players. Kristi Toliver has been out since June 16 with plantar fasciitis. Second-year center Shakira Austin is out for at least three weeks with a strained hip. Austin was second on the Mystics in scoring at the time of her injury with 11.4 points per game, and led the team with 7.8 rebounds.

But the Delle Donne will be the most significant loss for Washington while she is out. Delle Donne is seventh in the WNBA in scoring with 19.5 points per game. She also is averaging 6.3 rebounds, shooting 50% from the field, including 39.0% from three and 96.2% from the free-throw line.

The Mystics have two players — Abby Myers and Linnae Harper — on hardship contracts while the team is shorthanded with injuries, and Li Meng, playing for China in the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup.

Washington is 9-6 and currently sits in fourth place in the WNBA standings. Getting healthy is imperative for the Mystics to stay the course during the regular season.

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Washington Mystics center Shakira Austin will miss at least three weeks with a left hip strain, the team announced Tuesday. Austin will be re-evaluated after three weeks to determine her timeline to return.

Austin was injured early in the fourth quarter of the Mystics’ loss Sunday against the New York Liberty.

Shakira jumped a pass for a turnover. As she went to corral the loose basketball, she stumbled to the ground after planting her leg awkwardly. Austin grabbed the back of her leg immediately.

Her teammate Natasha Cloud helped carry Austin from the court to the locker room.

Despite not finishing Sunday’s game, Austin is second on the Mystics in scoring, averaging 11.4 points per game through 13 games. She leads the team with 7.8 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, and shooting 50.8% from the field.

Washington selected Shakira Austin third overall in the 2022 WNBA Draft. She was on par with having a breakout second pro season. However, her efforts are now on pause for the foreseeable future.

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The Washington Mystics suffered insult to injury in Sunday’s tough overtime loss to the New York Liberty. Second-year center Shakira Austin had to be carried off the court after suffering a scary non-contact injury.

Austin chased down a loose ball after she jumped a pass from Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu. Looking to get out and run on a clear breakaway, Austin stumbled as she came up on the ball. Her leg buckled as it planted. She immediately grabbed at the high back of her leg.

Players reached out to console her as she writhed in pain. Mystics teammates Natasha Cloud and Brittney Sykes rushed to her aid. Cloud helped carry Austin off the court to the locker room as she couldn’t put weight on her leg.

Mystics head coach Eric Thibault said Austin suffered a hip strain. She will be evaluated when the team gets back to D.C., per Tyler Byrum of NBC Sports Washington.

After a strong rookie season, Austin’s imprint is larger in her sophomore year. Entering Sunday’s contest, Shakira Austin was second on the team in scoring with 11.8 points per game through 12 games. She led the Mystics with 8.0 rebounds per game and 51.8% shooting from the field.

Austin has become the perfect complement to star Ellen Delle Donne. The Mystics’ fingers are crossing their fingers for the best outcome on the prognosis of Shakira Austin’s injury.

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Four-time WNBA All-Star Breanna Stewart has narrowed her list of potential new free agency destinations to two teams. According to Rachel Galligan of Winsidr.com, Stewart’s choices are the Seattle Storm and New York Liberty. She has eliminated the Washington Mystics and Minnesota Lynx.

The Mystics were one of four teams that met with Stewart in Istanbul during her negotiating period. Washington was considered a long shot, largely due to its limited cap space.

Stewart is widely considered the top WNBA free agent this offseason. She is the reigning WNBA scoring champion. She finished second to Las Vegas Aces’ star A’ja Wilson for league MVP last season.

Stewart has spent all seven of her WNBA seasons with the Storm. Her free agency has been linked with Seattle-area native Courtney Vandersloot, who is being courted by the Storm and Liberty.

Now that they are out of the Breanna Stewart sweepstakes, the Mystics will have to shift gears with their free agency plans. Elena Delle Donne, Natasha Cloud, Myisha Hines-Allen, Ariel Atkins, and Shakira Austin are the only players under contract with the Mystics for the 2023 season.

The Mystics signed Evina Westbrook and Jazmine Jones to spring training camp contracts. But there is still work for the team to do. Emma Meesseman is a name linked to a possible reunion with the mystics after she spent the 2022 season with the Chicago Sky.

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