Washington Mystics
Encyclopedia
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball
team based in Washington, D.C.
, playing in the Eastern Conference
in the Women's National Basketball Association
(WNBA). The team was founded prior to the 1998 season
. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment (led by Ted Leonsis
), who also owns the Mystics' NBA counterpart, the Washington Wizards
. 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 only six of its thirteen years in Washington. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as Tennessee
standout Chamique Holdsclaw
, athletic shooting guard Alana Beard
, and nearby Maryland
product Crystal Langhorne
. Despite having talented rosters, the Mystics have the most playoff appearances (6) without making it to the WNBA Finals
. They have only been to the Conference Finals once, losing to New York
in 2002
.
The Washington Mystics were one of the first WNBA expansion franchises to be established. In 1998, their first season, went to a WNBA worst 3-27 record, but they were 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, which Washington improved, but 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 losing 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 and 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. In 2003, the Mystics would make a franchise second worst record in franchise history with a 9-25 record, dead 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 playoff appearance in Mystics history. They finished the 2004 season at .500 (17-17), but lost in the first round to the Connecticut Sun
in 3 games.
and the team was sold by Washington Sports and Entertainment to Lincoln Holdings LLC, led by Ted Leonsis. In 2005, the team finished the regular season with a win/loss record of 16-18 and failed to make the playoffs.
In 2006, the Mystics posted a 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
. This ended the 2006 season for the Mystics, who had started to see a glint of hope for their struggling franchise.
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 an identical 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.
of Maryland
with the 6th pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft
. Plagues again by coaches 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 Washington front office knew it needed to completely clean out the franchise if success was desired.
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 actually good enough to reach the playoffs. However, in their playoff comeback, the eventual conference champion Indiana Fever
were too much for Washington to handle and the Mystics were swept in the first round, ending their season.
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. They were swept in the first round by the eventual Finals-contender 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. Harding and Smith were both traded away (to Atlanta
and Seattle
, respectively). Furthermore, general manager Angela Taylor and head coach Julie Plank
were relieved of their duties, as Trudi Lacey
was named to both positions in a decision seemingly related to cost-cutting. The questionable decisions came to fruition when the Mystics started the season 3-11.
rafters celebrating each year the Mystics were "Attendance Champions." Part of their fan base was the lesbian community, which embraced the team early and has contributed significantly to the team's attendance records.
The banners have been the focal point of much criticism over the years. With many people believing that the rafters are reserved for achievements in sports and not by the fans and thinking it is insulting to have banners for championships (such as the '84 Georgetown Hoyas
and the '78 Washington Bullets) and retired numbers (for the Washington Wizards
and the Washington Capitals
) hang next to "attendance champion" banners.
Members of the press have addressed this controversy many times. Washington City Paper
has called them "embarrassing", a 2005 ESPN.com article by Todd Wright
had Wright commenting " it's time to lose those Mystics attendance banners hanging from the rafters", the Sports Road Trip website mocked the banners by stating "Oh... Mystics... WNBA "attendance champions" in '98 and '99. "Wheeeeeeee!". When Washington Post writer Jon Gallo was asked about the banners, he stated "The attendance banners were largely achieved because the Mystics gave away approximately 30 percent of their tickets before Sheila Johnson took over the team. If the Mystics had made everyone pay for a ticket, then they would not have had the best attendance in the league.".
As of February 2008 only three of the attendance banners - the two earliest ones (1998 and 1999) and the one for 2002 (only Mystics team to win a playoff series to date) - hung in the Verizon Center rafters; the other three were removed to make room for a Georgetown Final Four (men's basketball) banner, to go next to that team's 1984 national championship banner.
In the 2009 season, the Mystics once again led the WNBA in attendance at 11,338 per game; however, in an entry on his blog, Ted Leonsis, whose Lincoln Holdings owns the Mystics, promised that there will be no attendance banner for 2009 should the Mystics conclude the season with the attendance lead http://www.tedstake.com/2009/07/13/mystics-lead-wnba-in-attendance-after-first-report/#more-4346.
In a blog entry of 7 May 2010, Leonsis announced that the banners would be coming down.
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#DC143C; color:#FFFFFF" | Washington Mystics statistics
|- valign="top"
|
|-
|
|-
|
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball
team based in Washington, D.C.
, playing in the Eastern Conference
in the Women's National Basketball Association
(WNBA). The team was founded prior to the 1998 season
. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment (led by Ted Leonsis
), who also owns the Mystics' NBA counterpart, the Washington Wizards
. 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 only six of its thirteen years in Washington. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as Tennessee
standout Chamique Holdsclaw
, athletic shooting guard Alana Beard
, and nearby Maryland
product Crystal Langhorne
. Despite having talented rosters, the Mystics have the most playoff appearances (6) without making it to the WNBA Finals
. They have only been to the Conference Finals once, losing to New York
in 2002
.
The Washington Mystics were one of the first WNBA expansion franchises to be established. In 1998, their first season, went to a WNBA worst 3-27 record, but they were 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, which Washington improved, but 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 losing 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 and 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. In 2003, the Mystics would make a franchise second worst record in franchise history with a 9-25 record, dead 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 playoff appearance in Mystics history. They finished the 2004 season at .500 (17-17), but lost in the first round to the Connecticut Sun
in 3 games.
and the team was sold by Washington Sports and Entertainment to Lincoln Holdings LLC, led by Ted Leonsis. In 2005, the team finished the regular season with a win/loss record of 16-18 and failed to make the playoffs.
In 2006, the Mystics posted a 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
. This ended the 2006 season for the Mystics, who had started to see a glint of hope for their struggling franchise.
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 an identical 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.
of Maryland
with the 6th pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft
. Plagues again by coaches 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 Washington front office knew it needed to completely clean out the franchise if success was desired.
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 actually good enough to reach the playoffs. However, in their playoff comeback, the eventual conference champion Indiana Fever
were too much for Washington to handle and the Mystics were swept in the first round, ending their season.
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. They were swept in the first round by the eventual Finals-contender 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. Harding and Smith were both traded away (to Atlanta
and Seattle
, respectively). Furthermore, general manager Angela Taylor and head coach Julie Plank
were relieved of their duties, as Trudi Lacey
was named to both positions in a decision seemingly related to cost-cutting. The questionable decisions came to fruition when the Mystics started the season 3-11.
rafters celebrating each year the Mystics were "Attendance Champions." Part of their fan base was the lesbian community, which embraced the team early and has contributed significantly to the team's attendance records.
The banners have been the focal point of much criticism over the years. With many people believing that the rafters are reserved for achievements in sports and not by the fans and thinking it is insulting to have banners for championships (such as the '84 Georgetown Hoyas
and the '78 Washington Bullets) and retired numbers (for the Washington Wizards
and the Washington Capitals
) hang next to "attendance champion" banners.
Members of the press have addressed this controversy many times. Washington City Paper
has called them "embarrassing", a 2005 ESPN.com article by Todd Wright
had Wright commenting " it's time to lose those Mystics attendance banners hanging from the rafters", the Sports Road Trip website mocked the banners by stating "Oh... Mystics... WNBA "attendance champions" in '98 and '99. "Wheeeeeeee!". When Washington Post writer Jon Gallo was asked about the banners, he stated "The attendance banners were largely achieved because the Mystics gave away approximately 30 percent of their tickets before Sheila Johnson took over the team. If the Mystics had made everyone pay for a ticket, then they would not have had the best attendance in the league.".
As of February 2008 only three of the attendance banners - the two earliest ones (1998 and 1999) and the one for 2002 (only Mystics team to win a playoff series to date) - hung in the Verizon Center rafters; the other three were removed to make room for a Georgetown Final Four (men's basketball) banner, to go next to that team's 1984 national championship banner.
In the 2009 season, the Mystics once again led the WNBA in attendance at 11,338 per game; however, in an entry on his blog, Ted Leonsis, whose Lincoln Holdings owns the Mystics, promised that there will be no attendance banner for 2009 should the Mystics conclude the season with the attendance lead http://www.tedstake.com/2009/07/13/mystics-lead-wnba-in-attendance-after-first-report/#more-4346.
In a blog entry of 7 May 2010, Leonsis announced that the banners would be coming down.
|-
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 10%;"| Season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 8%;" | Team
!rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 12%;" | Conference
!colspan="3" style="background:#eee; width: 15%;"| Regular season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 30%;"| Playoff
Results
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 13%;"| Head coach
|-
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|W
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|L
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|PCT
|-
|colspan="9" align=center bgcolor="#054EA4" | Washington Mystics
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1998
| 1998
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 5th
| 3
| 27
| .100
| Did not qualify
| J. Lewis (2–16)
C. Parson
(1–11)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1999
| 1999
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 5th
| 12
| 20
| .375
| Did not qualify
| Nancy Darsch
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2000
| 2000
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 4th
| 14
| 18
| .438
| Lost Conference Semifinals (New York
, 0–2)
| N. Darsch
(9–11)
D. Walker
(5–7)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2001
| 2001
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 8th
| 10
| 22
| .313
| Did not qualify
| Tom Maher
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2002
| 2002
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 3rd
| 17
| 15
| .531
| Won Conference Semifinals (Charlotte
, 2–0)
Lost Conference Finals (New York
, 1–2)
| Marianne Stanley
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2003
| 2003
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 7th
| 9
| 25
| .265
| Did not qualify
| Marianne Stanley
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2004
| 2004
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 4th
| 17
| 17
| .500
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Connecticut
, 1–2)
| Michael Adams
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2005
| 2005
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 5th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Did not qualify
| Richie Adubato
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2006
| 2006
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 4th
| 18
| 16
| .529
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Connecticut
, 0–2)
| Richie Adubato
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2007
| 2007
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 5th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Did not qualify
| R. Adubato
(0–4)
T. Rollins
(16–14)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2008
| 2008
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 6th
| 10
| 24
| .294
| Did not qualify
| T. Rollins
(8–14)
J. Kenlaw (2–10)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2009
| 2009
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 4th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana
, 0–2)
| Julie Plank
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2010
| 2010
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 1st
| 22
| 12
| .647
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Atlanta
, 0–2)
| Julie Plank
|-
|colspan="9" align=center bgcolor="#DC143C" | Washington Mystics
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2011
| 2011
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 6th
| 6
| 28
| .176
| Did not qualify
| Trudi Lacey
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Regular season
|style="background:#eee;"| 186
|style="background:#eee;"| 278
|style="background:#eee;"| .401
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 0 Conference Championships
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Playoffs
|style="background:#eee;"| 4
|style="background:#eee;"| 12
|style="background:#eee;"| .250
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 0 WNBA Championships
|}
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#DC143C; color:#FFFFFF" | Washington Mystics head coaches
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="15%" rowspan="2" | Name
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | Start
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | End
! width="5%" rowspan="2" | Seasons
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Regular season
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Playoffs
|-
! W !! L !! PCT !! G !! W !! L !! PCT !! G
|-
| Jim Lewis || December 29, 1997 || July 24, 1998 || 1 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|16 || width="5%"|.111 || width="5%"|18 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Cathy Parson
|| July 24, 1998 || end of 1998
|| 1 || width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|11 || width="5%"|.083 || width="5%"|12 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Nancy Darsch
|| February 18, 1999 || July 14, 2000 || 2 || width="5%"|21 || width="5%"|32 || width="5%"|.396 || width="5%"|53 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Darrell Walker
|| July 14, 2000 || end of 2000
|| 1 || width="5%"|5 || width="5%"|7 || width="5%"|.417 || width="5%"|12 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|2
|-
| Tom Maher
|| December 21, 2000 || January 4, 2002 || 1 || width="5%"|10 || width="5%"|22 || width="5%"|.313 || width="5%"|32 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Marianne Stanley || April 5, 2002 || January 21, 2004 || 2 || width="5%"|26 || width="5%"|40 || width="5%"|.394 || width="5%"|66 ||width="5%"|3 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|.600 || width="5%"|5
|-
| Michael Adams
|| February 17, 2004 || April 15, 2005 || 1 || width="5%"|17 || width="5%"|17 || width="5%"|.500 || width="5%"|34 ||width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|.333 || width="5%"|3
|-
| Richie Adubato
|| April 21, 2005 || June 1, 2007 || 3 || width="5%"|34 || width="5%"|38 || width="5%"|.472 || width="5%"|72 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|2|| width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|2
|-
| Tree Rollins
|| June 1, 2007 || July 19, 2008 || 2 || width="5%"|24 || width="5%"|28 || width="5%"|.462 || width="5%"|52 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Jessie Kenlaw || July 19, 2008 || end of 2008
|| 1 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|10 || width="5%"|.167 || width="5%"|12 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Julie Plank
|| November 6, 2008 || November 1, 2010 || 2 || width="5%"|38 || width="5%"|30 || width="5%"|.559 || width="5%"|68 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|4 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|4
|-
| Trudi Lacey
|| November 1, 2010 || Current || 1 || width="5%"|6 || width="5%"|28 || width="5%"|.176 || width="5%"|34 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|}
|}
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#DC143C; color:#FFFFFF" | Washington Mystics statistics
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
|-
| 1998
| N. McCray
(17.7)
| A. Santos de Oliveira (8.1)
| N. McCray
(3.1)
| 65.1 vs 80.5
| 30.8 vs 34.5
| .395 vs .468
|-
| 1999
| N. McCray
(17.5)
| C. Holdsclaw
(7.9)
| A. Nagy
(4.6)
| 65.6 vs 70.2
| 31.7 vs 31.1
| .423 vs .415
|}
|-
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
|-
| 2000
| C. Holdsclaw
(17.5)
| C. Holdsclaw
(7.5)
| A. Nagy
(5.1)
| 68.0 vs 69.4
| 29.6 vs 28.5
| .459 vs .451
|-
| 2001
| C. Holdsclaw
(16.8)
| C. Holdsclaw
(8.8)
| A. Burgess (2.8)
| 60.3 vs 64.8
| 33.0 vs 33.4
| .386 vs .407
|-
| 2002
| C. Holdsclaw
(19.9)
| C. Holdsclaw
(11.6)
| A. Burgess (3.6)
| 66.7 vs 66.1
| 32.4 vs 30.9
| .422 vs .413
|-
| 2003
| C. Holdsclaw
(20.5)
| C. Holdsclaw
(10.9)
| S. Dales
(3.4)
| 68.5 vs 73.5
| 31.9 vs 32.8
| .409 vs .447
|-
| 2004
| C. Holdsclaw
(19.0)
| C. Holdsclaw
(8.3)
| A. Beard
(2.7)
| 68.4 vs 70.1
| 31.3 vs 32.5
| .418 vs .429
|-
| 2005
| A. Beard
(14.1)
| C. Melvin
(5.9)
| T. Johnson
(5.2)
| 66.6 vs 67.8
| 27.7 vs 30.1
| .430 vs .445
|-
| 2006
| A. Beard
(19.2)
| C. Melvin
(6.6)
| N. Teasley
(5.4)
| 80.8 vs 78.1
| 32.4 vs 30.6
| .462 vs .432
|-
| 2007
| A. Beard
(18.8)
| N. Sanford
(7.1)
| N. Teasley
(3.3)
| 76.0 vs 77.6
| 32.9 vs 35.5
| .404 vs .417
|-
| 2008
| A. Beard
(16.1)
| N. Sanford
(5.7)
| A. Beard
(3.5)
| 69.6 vs 76.5
| 33.3 vs 32.1
| .415 vs .443
|-
| 2009
| A. Beard
(15.9)
| C. Langhorne
(7.9)
| L. Harding
(4.5)
| 76.0 vs 77.1
| 35.0 vs 32.7
| .423 vs .433
|}
|-
|
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball
team based in Washington, D.C.
, playing in the Eastern Conference
in the Women's National Basketball Association
(WNBA). The team was founded prior to the 1998 season
. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment (led by Ted Leonsis
), who also owns the Mystics' NBA counterpart, the Washington Wizards
. 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 only six of its thirteen years in Washington. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as Tennessee
standout Chamique Holdsclaw
, athletic shooting guard Alana Beard
, and nearby Maryland
product Crystal Langhorne
. Despite having talented rosters, the Mystics have the most playoff appearances (6) without making it to the WNBA Finals
. They have only been to the Conference Finals once, losing to New York
in 2002
.
The Washington Mystics were one of the first WNBA expansion franchises to be established. In 1998, their first season, went to a WNBA worst 3-27 record, but they were 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, which Washington improved, but 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 losing 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 and 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. In 2003, the Mystics would make a franchise second worst record in franchise history with a 9-25 record, dead 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 playoff appearance in Mystics history. They finished the 2004 season at .500 (17-17), but lost in the first round to the Connecticut Sun
in 3 games.
and the team was sold by Washington Sports and Entertainment to Lincoln Holdings LLC, led by Ted Leonsis. In 2005, the team finished the regular season with a win/loss record of 16-18 and failed to make the playoffs.
In 2006, the Mystics posted a 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
. This ended the 2006 season for the Mystics, who had started to see a glint of hope for their struggling franchise.
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 an identical 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.
of Maryland
with the 6th pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft
. Plagues again by coaches 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 Washington front office knew it needed to completely clean out the franchise if success was desired.
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 actually good enough to reach the playoffs. However, in their playoff comeback, the eventual conference champion Indiana Fever
were too much for Washington to handle and the Mystics were swept in the first round, ending their season.
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. They were swept in the first round by the eventual Finals-contender 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. Harding and Smith were both traded away (to Atlanta
and Seattle
, respectively). Furthermore, general manager Angela Taylor and head coach Julie Plank
were relieved of their duties, as Trudi Lacey
was named to both positions in a decision seemingly related to cost-cutting. The questionable decisions came to fruition when the Mystics started the season 3-11.
rafters celebrating each year the Mystics were "Attendance Champions." Part of their fan base was the lesbian community, which embraced the team early and has contributed significantly to the team's attendance records.
The banners have been the focal point of much criticism over the years. With many people believing that the rafters are reserved for achievements in sports and not by the fans and thinking it is insulting to have banners for championships (such as the '84 Georgetown Hoyas
and the '78 Washington Bullets) and retired numbers (for the Washington Wizards
and the Washington Capitals
) hang next to "attendance champion" banners.
Members of the press have addressed this controversy many times. Washington City Paper
has called them "embarrassing", a 2005 ESPN.com article by Todd Wright
had Wright commenting " it's time to lose those Mystics attendance banners hanging from the rafters", the Sports Road Trip website mocked the banners by stating "Oh... Mystics... WNBA "attendance champions" in '98 and '99. "Wheeeeeeee!". When Washington Post writer Jon Gallo was asked about the banners, he stated "The attendance banners were largely achieved because the Mystics gave away approximately 30 percent of their tickets before Sheila Johnson took over the team. If the Mystics had made everyone pay for a ticket, then they would not have had the best attendance in the league.".
As of February 2008 only three of the attendance banners - the two earliest ones (1998 and 1999) and the one for 2002 (only Mystics team to win a playoff series to date) - hung in the Verizon Center rafters; the other three were removed to make room for a Georgetown Final Four (men's basketball) banner, to go next to that team's 1984 national championship banner.
In the 2009 season, the Mystics once again led the WNBA in attendance at 11,338 per game; however, in an entry on his blog, Ted Leonsis, whose Lincoln Holdings owns the Mystics, promised that there will be no attendance banner for 2009 should the Mystics conclude the season with the attendance lead http://www.tedstake.com/2009/07/13/mystics-lead-wnba-in-attendance-after-first-report/#more-4346.
In a blog entry of 7 May 2010, Leonsis announced that the banners would be coming down.
|-
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 10%;"| Season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 8%;" | Team
!rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 12%;" | Conference
!colspan="3" style="background:#eee; width: 15%;"| Regular season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 30%;"| Playoff
Results
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 13%;"| Head coach
|-
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|W
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|L
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|PCT
|-
|colspan="9" align=center bgcolor="#054EA4" | Washington Mystics
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1998
| 1998
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 5th
| 3
| 27
| .100
| Did not qualify
| J. Lewis (2–16)
C. Parson
(1–11)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1999
| 1999
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 5th
| 12
| 20
| .375
| Did not qualify
| Nancy Darsch
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2000
| 2000
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 4th
| 14
| 18
| .438
| Lost Conference Semifinals (New York
, 0–2)
| N. Darsch
(9–11)
D. Walker
(5–7)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2001
| 2001
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 8th
| 10
| 22
| .313
| Did not qualify
| Tom Maher
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2002
| 2002
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 3rd
| 17
| 15
| .531
| Won Conference Semifinals (Charlotte
, 2–0)
Lost Conference Finals (New York
, 1–2)
| Marianne Stanley
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2003
| 2003
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 7th
| 9
| 25
| .265
| Did not qualify
| Marianne Stanley
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2004
| 2004
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 4th
| 17
| 17
| .500
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Connecticut
, 1–2)
| Michael Adams
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2005
| 2005
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 5th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Did not qualify
| Richie Adubato
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2006
| 2006
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 4th
| 18
| 16
| .529
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Connecticut
, 0–2)
| Richie Adubato
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2007
| 2007
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 5th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Did not qualify
| R. Adubato
(0–4)
T. Rollins
(16–14)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2008
| 2008
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 6th
| 10
| 24
| .294
| Did not qualify
| T. Rollins
(8–14)
J. Kenlaw (2–10)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2009
| 2009
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 4th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana
, 0–2)
| Julie Plank
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2010
| 2010
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 1st
| 22
| 12
| .647
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Atlanta
, 0–2)
| Julie Plank
|-
|colspan="9" align=center bgcolor="#DC143C" | Washington Mystics
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2011
| 2011
| style="width: 10%"|East
| 6th
| 6
| 28
| .176
| Did not qualify
| Trudi Lacey
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Regular season
|style="background:#eee;"| 186
|style="background:#eee;"| 278
|style="background:#eee;"| .401
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 0 Conference Championships
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Playoffs
|style="background:#eee;"| 4
|style="background:#eee;"| 12
|style="background:#eee;"| .250
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 0 WNBA Championships
|}
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#DC143C; color:#FFFFFF" | Washington Mystics head coaches
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="15%" rowspan="2" | Name
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | Start
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | End
! width="5%" rowspan="2" | Seasons
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Regular season
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Playoffs
|-
! W !! L !! PCT !! G !! W !! L !! PCT !! G
|-
| Jim Lewis || December 29, 1997 || July 24, 1998 || 1 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|16 || width="5%"|.111 || width="5%"|18 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Cathy Parson
|| July 24, 1998 || end of 1998
|| 1 || width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|11 || width="5%"|.083 || width="5%"|12 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Nancy Darsch
|| February 18, 1999 || July 14, 2000 || 2 || width="5%"|21 || width="5%"|32 || width="5%"|.396 || width="5%"|53 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Darrell Walker
|| July 14, 2000 || end of 2000
|| 1 || width="5%"|5 || width="5%"|7 || width="5%"|.417 || width="5%"|12 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|2
|-
| Tom Maher
|| December 21, 2000 || January 4, 2002 || 1 || width="5%"|10 || width="5%"|22 || width="5%"|.313 || width="5%"|32 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Marianne Stanley || April 5, 2002 || January 21, 2004 || 2 || width="5%"|26 || width="5%"|40 || width="5%"|.394 || width="5%"|66 ||width="5%"|3 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|.600 || width="5%"|5
|-
| Michael Adams
|| February 17, 2004 || April 15, 2005 || 1 || width="5%"|17 || width="5%"|17 || width="5%"|.500 || width="5%"|34 ||width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|.333 || width="5%"|3
|-
| Richie Adubato
|| April 21, 2005 || June 1, 2007 || 3 || width="5%"|34 || width="5%"|38 || width="5%"|.472 || width="5%"|72 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|2|| width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|2
|-
| Tree Rollins
|| June 1, 2007 || July 19, 2008 || 2 || width="5%"|24 || width="5%"|28 || width="5%"|.462 || width="5%"|52 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Jessie Kenlaw || July 19, 2008 || end of 2008
|| 1 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|10 || width="5%"|.167 || width="5%"|12 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Julie Plank
|| November 6, 2008 || November 1, 2010 || 2 || width="5%"|38 || width="5%"|30 || width="5%"|.559 || width="5%"|68 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|4 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|4
|-
| Trudi Lacey
|| November 1, 2010 || Current || 1 || width="5%"|6 || width="5%"|28 || width="5%"|.176 || width="5%"|34 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|}
|}
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#DC143C; color:#FFFFFF" | Washington Mystics statistics
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
|-
| 1998
| N. McCray
(17.7)
| A. Santos de Oliveira (8.1)
| N. McCray
(3.1)
| 65.1 vs 80.5
| 30.8 vs 34.5
| .395 vs .468
|-
| 1999
| N. McCray
(17.5)
| C. Holdsclaw
(7.9)
| A. Nagy
(4.6)
| 65.6 vs 70.2
| 31.7 vs 31.1
| .423 vs .415
|}
|-
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
|-
| 2000
| C. Holdsclaw
(17.5)
| C. Holdsclaw
(7.5)
| A. Nagy
(5.1)
| 68.0 vs 69.4
| 29.6 vs 28.5
| .459 vs .451
|-
| 2001
| C. Holdsclaw
(16.8)
| C. Holdsclaw
(8.8)
| A. Burgess (2.8)
| 60.3 vs 64.8
| 33.0 vs 33.4
| .386 vs .407
|-
| 2002
| C. Holdsclaw
(19.9)
| C. Holdsclaw
(11.6)
| A. Burgess (3.6)
| 66.7 vs 66.1
| 32.4 vs 30.9
| .422 vs .413
|-
| 2003
| C. Holdsclaw
(20.5)
| C. Holdsclaw
(10.9)
| S. Dales
(3.4)
| 68.5 vs 73.5
| 31.9 vs 32.8
| .409 vs .447
|-
| 2004
| C. Holdsclaw
(19.0)
| C. Holdsclaw
(8.3)
| A. Beard
(2.7)
| 68.4 vs 70.1
| 31.3 vs 32.5
| .418 vs .429
|-
| 2005
| A. Beard
(14.1)
| C. Melvin
(5.9)
| T. Johnson
(5.2)
| 66.6 vs 67.8
| 27.7 vs 30.1
| .430 vs .445
|-
| 2006
| A. Beard
(19.2)
| C. Melvin
(6.6)
| N. Teasley
(5.4)
| 80.8 vs 78.1
| 32.4 vs 30.6
| .462 vs .432
|-
| 2007
| A. Beard
(18.8)
| N. Sanford
(7.1)
| N. Teasley
(3.3)
| 76.0 vs 77.6
| 32.9 vs 35.5
| .404 vs .417
|-
| 2008
| A. Beard
(16.1)
| N. Sanford
(5.7)
| A. Beard
(3.5)
| 69.6 vs 76.5
| 33.3 vs 32.1
| .415 vs .443
|-
| 2009
| A. Beard
(15.9)
| C. Langhorne
(7.9)
| L. Harding
(4.5)
| 76.0 vs 77.1
| 35.0 vs 32.7
| .423 vs .433
|}
|-
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
|-
| 2010
| C. Langhorne
(16.3)
| C. Langhorne
(9.7)
| L. Harding
(4.0)
| 76.9 vs 73.3
| 34.2 vs 28.3
| .451 vs .426
|-
| 2011
| C. Langhorne
(18.2)
| C. Langhorne
(7.6)
| M. Ajavon
(3.1)
| 70.8 vs 78.8
| 33.1 vs 31.8
| .406 vs .465
|}
|}
(CSN-MA), which is a local television station for the area of Washington, D.C.
and Baltimore, Maryland. More often than not, NBA TV
will pick up the feed from the local broadcast, which is shown nationally. Broadcasters for the Mystics games are Frank Hanrahan and Christy Winters Scott.
All games (excluding blackout games, which are available on ESPN3.com) are broadcast to the WNBA LiveAccess game feeds on the league website. Furthermore, some Mystics games are broadcast nationally on ESPN
, ESPN2 and ABC
. The WNBA has reached an eight year agreement with ESPN
, which will pay right fees to the Mystics, as well as other teams in the league.
{| class="toccolours" width=70% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#DC143C; color:#FFFFFF" | Regular season all-time attendance
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|- align="center" style="background:#eee;color:#000000;"
|width=75 |Year
|width=150|Average
|width=100|High
|width=100|Low
|width=75 |Sellouts
|width=150|Total for year
|width=150|WNBA game average
|- align="center"
| 1998 || 15,910 (1st) || 20,674 || 10,364 || 1 || 238,647 || 10,869
|- align="center"
| 1999 || 15,306 (1st) || 20,674 || 11,008 || 1 || 244,889 || 10,207
|- align="center"
| 2000 || 15,258 (1st) || 19,093 || 11,070 || 1 || 244,134 || 9,074
|- align="center"
| 2001 || 15,417 (2nd) || 19,093 || 11,302 || 1 || 246,667 || 9,075
|- align="center"
| 2002 || 16,202 (1st) || 19,766 || 14,004 || 0 || 259,237 || 9,228
|- align="center"
| 2003 || 14,042 (1st) || 19,683 || 11,052 || 0 || 238,710 || 8,800
|- align="center"
| 2004 || 12,615 (1st) || 18,436 || 8,784 || 0 || 214,448 || 8,613
|- align="center"
| 2005 || 10,089 (2nd) || 16,654 || 6,010 || 0 || 171,512 || 8,172
|- align="center"
| 2006 || 7,662 (7th) || 15,103 || 5,892 || 0 || 130,255 || 7,476
|- align="center"
| 2007 || 7,788 (8th) || 13,997 || 6,147 || 0 || 132,396 || 7,742
|- align="center"
| 2008 || 9,096 (3rd) || 11,517 || 6,146 || 0 || 154,637 || 7,948
|- align="center"
| 2009 || 11,338 (1st) || 17,220 || 9,738 || 0 || 192,747 || 8,039
|- align="center"
| 2010 || 9,357 (3rd) || 14,347 || 7,547 || 0 || 159,065 || 7,834
|- align="center"
| 2011 || 10,531 (1st) || 13,954 || 7,028 || 0 || in progress || 7,892
|}
|}
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team based in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, playing in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
in the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
(WNBA). The team was founded prior to the 1998 season
1998 WNBA season
-External links:**...
. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment (led by Ted Leonsis
Ted Leonsis
Theodore John Leonsis is an Internet pioneer, sports team owner, venture capital investor, filmmaker, author and philanthropist. His early new media company, Redgate Communications was acquired by America Online in 1994, and Leonsis became a senior AOL executive for the next 13 years...
), who also owns the Mystics' NBA counterpart, the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
. Sheila C. Johnson
Sheila Johnson
Sheila Crump Johnson is the team president, managing partner, and governor of the WNBA's Washington Mystics, a position she gained before the 2005 season. On May 24, 2005, Washington Sports and Entertainment Chairman, Abe Pollin, sold the Mystics to Lincoln Holdings LLC, where Johnson served as...
, co-founder of BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
and ex-wife of Charlotte Sting
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
owner Robert L. Johnson
Robert L. Johnson
Robert L. Johnson is an American business magnate best known for being the founder of television network Black Entertainment Television , and is also its former chairman and chief executive officer...
, is the managing partner.
The Mystics have qualified for the WNBA Playoffs
WNBA Playoffs
The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals....
in only six of its thirteen years in Washington. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
standout Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
, athletic shooting guard Alana Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
, and nearby Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
product Crystal Langhorne
Crystal Langhorne
- External links :* at University of Maryland website.* at...
. Despite having talented rosters, the Mystics have the most playoff appearances (6) without making it to the WNBA Finals
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002....
. They have only been to the Conference Finals once, losing to New York
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
in 2002
2002 WNBA season
-External links:***...
.
One of the first, one of the worst (1998–2004)
Nikki McCray
Nikki McCray is a former American professional basketball player. She played in the Women's National Basketball Association for eight seasons....
. Although they did not make the playoffs that year, the team had high expectations after drafting University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
star Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
in 1999, which Washington improved, but 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 losing record of 14-18, losing to the New York Liberty
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
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 and 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
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
in the first round, but lose to New York again in the Eastern Conference Finals 2 games to 1. In 2003, the Mystics would make a franchise second worst record in franchise history with a 9-25 record, dead 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
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
. With their all-star out, rookie and Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
standout Alana Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
led a depleted Mystics team to a surprising playoff appearance, the third playoff appearance in Mystics history. They finished the 2004 season at .500 (17-17), but lost in the first round to the Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
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 SparksLos Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...
and the team was sold by Washington Sports and Entertainment to Lincoln Holdings LLC, led by Ted Leonsis. In 2005, the team finished the regular season with a win/loss record of 16-18 and failed to make the playoffs.
In 2006, the Mystics posted a 18-16 record thriving under star guard Alana Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
who was drafted in 2004
2004 WNBA Draft
2004 WNBA Draft - 17 April 2004On January 6, 2004 a dispersal draft took place. Players were drafted from the roster of the Cleveland Rockers, who folded after the 2003 season....
. The Mystics entered the playoffs as the 4th seed. In the first round, Washington was ultimately swept by the Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
, the first-seeded team in the East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
. This ended the 2006 season for the Mystics, who had started to see a glint of hope for their struggling franchise.
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 an identical record as the New York Liberty
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
. 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)
In 2008, the Mystics looked to build on their near-playoff appearance in a tough Eastern conference. They drafted Crystal LanghorneCrystal Langhorne
- External links :* at University of Maryland website.* at...
of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
with the 6th pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft
2008 WNBA Draft
The 2008 WNBA Draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 9, 2008....
. Plagues again by coaches problems, the Mystics fell to the bottom of the East again, finishing only in front of the expansion Atlanta
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
team. The Mystics had gone through 10 coaches in 11 years of existence, the most in the WNBA. The Washington front office knew it needed to completely clean out the franchise if success was desired.
Changes, Part Two (2009–present)
During the 2008/2009 WNBA offseason, 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 HoustonHouston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
dispersal draft and the 2009 WNBA Draft
2009 WNBA Draft
The 2009 WNBA Draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 9, 2009. The first round was shown on ESPN2 at 3:00pm ET, while the second and third rounds were shown on ESPNU and NBA TV at...
, the Mystics selected Matee Ajavon
Matee Ajavon
Matee Ajavon is a Liberian American player in the WNBA for the Washington Mystics. A 5'8" guard, Ajavon was chosen by the Houston Comets as the fifth overall draft pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft.-Early life:...
and Marissa Coleman
Marissa Coleman
Marissa Coleman is an American professional basketball player. She currently plays the forward position for the Washington Mystics in the WNBA.-Personal life:...
, 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 actually good enough to reach the playoffs. However, in their playoff comeback, the eventual conference champion Indiana Fever
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
were too much for Washington to handle and the Mystics were swept in the first round, ending their season.
The Mystics had their best season ever in 2010
2010 WNBA season
The 2010 WNBA season was the 14th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began with a televised meeting between the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in Phoenix, Arizona on May 15. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 10th Annual All-Star...
. Led by Lindsey Harding
Lindsey Harding
Lindsey Marcie Harding is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the Atlanta Dream. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up in Houston, Texas.-College career:...
, Katie Smith
Katie Smith
Katherine May "Katie" Smith is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA. Her primary position is shooting guard, although she sometimes plays small forward or point guard. She is the all time leading scorer in women's professional basketball, having notched over 7000 points in both...
, and Crystal Langhorne
Crystal Langhorne
- External links :* at University of Maryland website.* at...
, the Mystics took first place in the East with a record of 22-12. They were swept in the first round by the eventual Finals-contender Atlanta Dream
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
.
Prior to the 2011 season
2011 WNBA season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 15th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on June 3 with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Minnesota Lynx, featuring 2011 WNBA Draft top pick Maya Moore, in a game televised on NBA TV...
, 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. Harding and Smith were both traded away (to Atlanta
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
and Seattle
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, respectively). Furthermore, general manager Angela Taylor and head coach Julie Plank
Julie Plank
Julie Plank is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-Career:Julie Plank was named the head coach of the Washington Mystics on November 6, 2008...
were relieved of their duties, as Trudi Lacey
Trudi Lacey
Trudi Lacey is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-References:*...
was named to both positions in a decision seemingly related to cost-cutting. The questionable decisions came to fruition when the Mystics started the season 3-11.
Uniforms
- 1998–2010: white with black and gold outlines at home, dark blue with black and gold outlines on the road.
- 2011–present: white with red and blue outlines at home, red with white and blue outlines on the road. Both jerseys display the Inova Health SystemInova Health SystemInova Health System is a non-profit health organization based in Falls Church, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. Inova Health System is a network of hospitals, outpatient services, assisted living and long-term care facilities, and healthcare centers....
name on the front.
"Attendance Champions"
The Washington Mystics led the WNBA in home attendance from 1998 through 2000 and from 2002 through 2004. To celebrate the fans turning out for games, they have hung six banners from the Verizon CenterVerizon Center
Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...
rafters celebrating each year the Mystics were "Attendance Champions." Part of their fan base was the lesbian community, which embraced the team early and has contributed significantly to the team's attendance records.
Georgetown Hoyas
Georgetown's nickname is The Hoyas, but its mascot is "Jack the Bulldog." Various breeds of dogs have been used by the sports teams as mascots since the early 1900s. Several notable bull terriers like Sergeant Stubby and "Hoya" were used at football games in the 1920s, as was a Great Dane in the...
and the '78 Washington Bullets) and retired numbers (for the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
and the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
) hang next to "attendance champion" banners.
Members of the press have addressed this controversy many times. Washington City Paper
Washington City Paper
The Washington City Paper is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.Founded in 1981, and published for its first year under the masthead 1981, taking the City Paper name in volume 2, by Russ Smith, it shared ownership with the Chicago Reader from 1982...
has called them "embarrassing", a 2005 ESPN.com article by Todd Wright
Todd Wright
Todd Wright is an American sports radio personality. He is currently the host of Todd Wright Tonight on Yahoo Sports Radio, which debuted on Monday, June 12, 2006 and airs Monday to Friday from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. ....
had Wright commenting " it's time to lose those Mystics attendance banners hanging from the rafters", the Sports Road Trip website mocked the banners by stating "Oh... Mystics... WNBA "attendance champions" in '98 and '99. "Wheeeeeeee!". When Washington Post writer Jon Gallo was asked about the banners, he stated "The attendance banners were largely achieved because the Mystics gave away approximately 30 percent of their tickets before Sheila Johnson took over the team. If the Mystics had made everyone pay for a ticket, then they would not have had the best attendance in the league.".
As of February 2008 only three of the attendance banners - the two earliest ones (1998 and 1999) and the one for 2002 (only Mystics team to win a playoff series to date) - hung in the Verizon Center rafters; the other three were removed to make room for a Georgetown Final Four (men's basketball) banner, to go next to that team's 1984 national championship banner.
In the 2009 season, the Mystics once again led the WNBA in attendance at 11,338 per game; however, in an entry on his blog, Ted Leonsis, whose Lincoln Holdings owns the Mystics, promised that there will be no attendance banner for 2009 should the Mystics conclude the season with the attendance lead http://www.tedstake.com/2009/07/13/mystics-lead-wnba-in-attendance-after-first-report/#more-4346.
In a blog entry of 7 May 2010, Leonsis announced that the banners would be coming down.
Season-by-season records
| Season | Team | Conference | Regular season | Playoff WNBA Playoffs The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals.... Results |
Head coach | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | PCT | ||||||
| Washington Mystics | ||||||||
| 1998 1998 WNBA season -External links:**... |
1998 1998 Washington Mystics season The 1998 WNBA season was the first for the Washington Mystics.-WNBA Draft:*First Round, Murriel Page, 3rd Pick Overall*Second Round, Rita Williams, 13th Pick Overall*Third Round, Angela Hamblin, 23rd Pick Overall*Fourth Round, Angela Jackson, 33rd Pick Overall... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
5th | 3 | 27 | .100 | Did not qualify | J. Lewis (2–16) C. Parson Cathy Parson Cathy Parson is the head women's basketball coach at Howard. She is currently in her eighth season as the head coach at Howard, and has compild a 99-100 record in her first seven seasons. She led the Lady Bison to two regular season MEAC titles. The 2001 team won the MEAC tournament title... (1–11) |
| 1999 1999 WNBA season -External links:**... |
1999 1999 Washington Mystics season The 1999 WNBA season was the second for the Washington Mystics. In the 1999 WNBA Draft, Chamique Holdsclaw was selected by the Washington Mystics 1st overall. In her first season, she was named the Rookie of the Year and was a starter in the inaugural WNBA All-Star Game... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
5th | 12 | 20 | .375 | Did not qualify | Nancy Darsch Nancy Darsch Nancy Darsch is an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association. She started her professional coaching career in the WNBA's inaugural season with the New York Liberty. As the head coach, Darsch led the Liberty to a 17–11 season and the team advanced to the... |
| 2000 2000 WNBA season -External links:**... |
2000 2000 Washington Mystics season The 2000 WNBA season was the 3rd season for the Washington Mystics. The team clinched their first WNBA Playoff berth, eventually losing in a sweep to the New York Liberty.-Offseason:... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
4th | 14 | 18 | .438 | Lost Conference Semifinals (New York New York Liberty The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league... , 0–2) |
N. Darsch Nancy Darsch Nancy Darsch is an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association. She started her professional coaching career in the WNBA's inaugural season with the New York Liberty. As the head coach, Darsch led the Liberty to a 17–11 season and the team advanced to the... (9–11) D. Walker Darrell Walker Darrell Walker is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. At 6'4" and 180 lb , he played as a guard... (5–7) |
| 2001 2001 WNBA season -External links:**... |
2001 2001 Washington Mystics season The 2001 WNBA season was the 4th season for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-References:... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
8th | 10 | 22 | .313 | Did not qualify | Tom Maher Tom Maher Tom Maher is a basketball coach from Australia, who is the most successful coach in the WNBL history, having won seven WNBL titles... |
| 2002 2002 WNBA season -External links:***... |
2002 2002 Washington Mystics season The 2002 WNBA season was the fifth for the Washington Mystics.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:Note: GP= Games played; MIN= Minutes; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average-Playoffs:... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
3rd | 17 | 15 | .531 | Won Conference Semifinals (Charlotte Charlotte Sting The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007.... , 2–0) Lost Conference Finals (New York New York Liberty The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league... , 1–2) |
Marianne Stanley |
| 2003 2003 WNBA season -External links:***... |
2003 2003 Washington Mystics season The 2003 WNBA season was the 6th for the Washington Mystics.-Dispersal Draft:-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-References:... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
7th | 9 | 25 | .265 | Did not qualify | Marianne Stanley |
| 2004 2004 WNBA season -External links:***... |
2004 2004 Washington Mystics season The 2004 WNBA season was the 7th for the Washington Mystics. The franchise drafted Alana Beard as the 2nd pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft, who later led the team to the playoffs for the first time in two years.-Dispersal Draft:... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
4th | 17 | 17 | .500 | Lost Conference Semifinals (Connecticut Connecticut Sun The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season... , 1–2) |
Michael Adams Michael Adams (basketball) Michael Adams is a former NBA player and basketball coach.After starring at Boston College, the 5'10" point guard was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the 3rd round with the 66th pick of the 1985 NBA Draft... |
| 2005 2005 WNBA season -External links:***... |
2005 2005 Washington Mystics season The 2005 WNBA season was the 8th for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics gave it their all, but they fell short for the playoffs, losing a tiebreaker to the Detroit Shock.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-External links:*... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
5th | 16 | 18 | .471 | Did not qualify | Richie Adubato Richie Adubato Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic... |
| 2006 2006 WNBA season -External links:*******... |
2006 2006 Washington Mystics season The 2006 WNBA season was the 9th for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics successfully reached the playoffs, but they were later swept in the opening round to the Connecticut Sun.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Player stats:-External links:*... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
4th | 18 | 16 | .529 | Lost Conference Semifinals (Connecticut Connecticut Sun The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season... , 0–2) |
Richie Adubato Richie Adubato Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic... |
| 2007 2007 WNBA season -External links:* * * * * * * *... |
2007 2007 Washington Mystics season The 2007 WNBA season was the 10th for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics fell short for the playoffs, losing in a tiebreaker to the New York Liberty.-Dispersal Draft:... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
5th | 16 | 18 | .471 | Did not qualify | R. Adubato Richie Adubato Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic... (0–4) T. Rollins Tree Rollins Wayne Monte "Tree" Rollins is a retired American professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. He was primarily known under his playing name, Tree... (16–14) |
| 2008 2008 WNBA season -Season Highlights:*Candace Parker becomes the second and third player in WNBA history to dunk in a regular season game.*A fight breaks out between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock resulting in four ejections and ten suspensions.... |
2008 2008 Washington Mystics season The 2008 WNBA season was the 11th season for the Washington Mystics. Despite a 10-16 record before the WNBA break for the Beijing Olympics, Mystics officials said that attendance at Verizon Center had risen from nearly 1,200 fans a game over last season, with total ticket revenue up 17 percent and... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
6th | 10 | 24 | .294 | Did not qualify | T. Rollins Tree Rollins Wayne Monte "Tree" Rollins is a retired American professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. He was primarily known under his playing name, Tree... (8–14) J. Kenlaw (2–10) |
| 2009 2009 WNBA season The 2009 WNBA Season is the 13th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. It is the first WNBA season ever without a Houston franchise, the Comets having folded in December 2008... |
2009 2009 Washington Mystics season The 2009 WNBA season is the 12th season for the Washington Mystics franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Mystics successfully reached the playoffs for the first time in three years. They eventually lost to the Indiana Fever in the first round in a sweep.-Dispersal... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
4th | 16 | 18 | .471 | Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began... , 0–2) |
Julie Plank Julie Plank Julie Plank is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-Career:Julie Plank was named the head coach of the Washington Mystics on November 6, 2008... |
| 2010 2010 WNBA season The 2010 WNBA season was the 14th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began with a televised meeting between the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in Phoenix, Arizona on May 15. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 10th Annual All-Star... |
2010 2010 Washington Mystics season The 2010 WNBA season is the 13th season for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association.-Dispersal draft:Based on the Mystics' 2009 record, they would pick 6th in the Sacramento Monarchs dispersal draft... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
1st | 22 | 12 | .647 | Lost Conference Semifinals (Atlanta Atlanta Dream The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta... , 0–2) |
Julie Plank Julie Plank Julie Plank is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-Career:Julie Plank was named the head coach of the Washington Mystics on November 6, 2008... |
| Washington Mystics | ||||||||
| 2011 2011 WNBA season The 2011 WNBA season is the 15th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on June 3 with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Minnesota Lynx, featuring 2011 WNBA Draft top pick Maya Moore, in a game televised on NBA TV... |
2011 2011 Washington Mystics season The 2011 WNBA season is the 14th season for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association.-WNBA Draft:The following are the Mystics' selections in the 2011 WNBA Draft.-Transaction log:... |
East Eastern Conference (WNBA) The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference... |
6th | 6 | 28 | .176 | Did not qualify | Trudi Lacey Trudi Lacey Trudi Lacey is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-References:*... |
| Regular season | 186 | 278 | .401 | 0 Conference Championships | ||||
| Playoffs | 4 | 12 | .250 | 0 WNBA Championships | ||||
Former players
- Nikki BlueNikki BlueAnitra Necole Blue better known as Nikki Blue is a professional basketball player with the New York Liberty of the WNBA and an assistant coach at UNLV.-High school:...
(2006–2009) - Kiesha BrownKiesha BrownKiesha Brown is an American professional basketball player.-High school:White attended Woodward Academy in Atlanta, where she was named a High School All-American by the WBCA...
(2002–2005) - Vicky BullettVicky BullettVictoria Bullett is an American former professional basketball player. She played for the Charlotte Sting and Washington Mystics in the WNBA, as well as for European and South American professional teams, the U.S. Olympic team, and the University of Maryland Terrapins...
(2000–2002) - Stacey Dales-Schuman (2002–2004)
- Lindsey HardingLindsey HardingLindsey Marcie Harding is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the Atlanta Dream. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up in Houston, Texas.-College career:...
(2009–2010), now a member of the Atlanta DreamAtlanta DreamThe Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta... - Chamique HoldsclawChamique HoldsclawChamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(1999–2004) - Asjha JonesAsjha JonesAsjha Takera Jones is a professional basketball player. She plays the power forward position for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA.-Early years:...
(2002–2003), now a member of the Connecticut SunConnecticut SunThe Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season... - Nikki McCrayNikki McCrayNikki McCray is a former American professional basketball player. She played in the Women's National Basketball Association for eight seasons....
(1998–2001) - Taj McWilliams-Franklin (2008), now a member of the Minnesota LynxMinnesota LynxThe Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...
- Chasity MelvinChasity MelvinChasity Melvin is an American professional basketball player originally from Roseboro, North Carolina.A 6'3" forward, Melvin has played in the WNBA since 1999, competing for the Cleveland Rockers, the Washington Mystics, and the Chicago Sky. Through twelve seasons in the league, she holds career...
(2004–2007, 2009–2010) - Coco MillerCoco Miller-External links:**...
(2001–2008), now a member of the Atlanta DreamAtlanta DreamThe Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta... - DeLisha Milton-JonesDeLisha Milton-JonesDeLisha Milton-Jones is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association . Milton-Jones played college basketball for the University of Florida. In her twelve-season WNBA career, she has played for the Washington Mystics and Los...
(2005–2007), now a member of the Los Angeles SparksLos Angeles SparksThe Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began... - Murriel PageMurriel PageLaMurriel "Murriel" Page is a former American college and professional basketball player who was a forward and center in the Women's National Basketball Association for eleven seasons. Page played college basketball for the University of Florida, and was drafted in the first round of the 1998...
(1998–2005) - Nakia SanfordNakia SanfordNakia Sanford is a professional basketball player. She currently plays the center position for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA.-College career:...
(2003–2010), now a member of the Phoenix MercuryPhoenix MercuryThe Phoenix Mercury is a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; it is one of the eight original franchises... - Katie SmithKatie SmithKatherine May "Katie" Smith is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA. Her primary position is shooting guard, although she sometimes plays small forward or point guard. She is the all time leading scorer in women's professional basketball, having notched over 7000 points in both...
(2010), now a member of the Seattle StormSeattle StormThe Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began... - Nikki TeasleyNikki TeasleyNikki Teasley is a basketball player in the WNBA.She played college basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill....
(2006–2007)
Owners
- Abe PollinAbe PollinAbe Pollin was the owner of a number of professional sports teams including the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League , the Washington Mystics in the Women's National Basketball Association , and the Washington Wizards in the National Basketball Association...
, owner of the Washington WizardsWashington WizardsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
(1998–2005) - Monumental Sports & Entertainment/Ted LeonsisTed LeonsisTheodore John Leonsis is an Internet pioneer, sports team owner, venture capital investor, filmmaker, author and philanthropist. His early new media company, Redgate Communications was acquired by America Online in 1994, and Leonsis became a senior AOL executive for the next 13 years...
, owner of the Washington WizardsWashington WizardsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
(2005–present)
Head coaches
| Washington Mystics head coaches | |
|---|---|
General managers
- Melissa McFerrin (1998–2001)
- Judy Holland-Burton (2002–2004)
- Linda Hargrove (2005–2008)
- Angela Taylor (2009–2010)
- Trudi LaceyTrudi LaceyTrudi Lacey is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-References:*...
(2011–present)
Statistics
{| class="toccolours" width=80% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#DC143C; color:#FFFFFF" | Washington Mystics statistics
|- valign="top"
|
|-
|
|-
|
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team based in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, playing in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
in the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
(WNBA). The team was founded prior to the 1998 season
1998 WNBA season
-External links:**...
. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment (led by Ted Leonsis
Ted Leonsis
Theodore John Leonsis is an Internet pioneer, sports team owner, venture capital investor, filmmaker, author and philanthropist. His early new media company, Redgate Communications was acquired by America Online in 1994, and Leonsis became a senior AOL executive for the next 13 years...
), who also owns the Mystics' NBA counterpart, the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
. Sheila C. Johnson
Sheila Johnson
Sheila Crump Johnson is the team president, managing partner, and governor of the WNBA's Washington Mystics, a position she gained before the 2005 season. On May 24, 2005, Washington Sports and Entertainment Chairman, Abe Pollin, sold the Mystics to Lincoln Holdings LLC, where Johnson served as...
, co-founder of BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
and ex-wife of Charlotte Sting
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
owner Robert L. Johnson
Robert L. Johnson
Robert L. Johnson is an American business magnate best known for being the founder of television network Black Entertainment Television , and is also its former chairman and chief executive officer...
, is the managing partner.
The Mystics have qualified for the WNBA Playoffs
WNBA Playoffs
The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals....
in only six of its thirteen years in Washington. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
standout Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
, athletic shooting guard Alana Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
, and nearby Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
product Crystal Langhorne
Crystal Langhorne
- External links :* at University of Maryland website.* at...
. Despite having talented rosters, the Mystics have the most playoff appearances (6) without making it to the WNBA Finals
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002....
. They have only been to the Conference Finals once, losing to New York
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
in 2002
2002 WNBA season
-External links:***...
.
One of the first, one of the worst (1998–2004)
Nikki McCray
Nikki McCray is a former American professional basketball player. She played in the Women's National Basketball Association for eight seasons....
. Although they did not make the playoffs that year, the team had high expectations after drafting University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
star Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
in 1999, which Washington improved, but 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 losing record of 14-18, losing to the New York Liberty
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
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 and 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
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
in the first round, but lose to New York again in the Eastern Conference Finals 2 games to 1. In 2003, the Mystics would make a franchise second worst record in franchise history with a 9-25 record, dead 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
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
. With their all-star out, rookie and Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
standout Alana Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
led a depleted Mystics team to a surprising playoff appearance, the third playoff appearance in Mystics history. They finished the 2004 season at .500 (17-17), but lost in the first round to the Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
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 SparksLos Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...
and the team was sold by Washington Sports and Entertainment to Lincoln Holdings LLC, led by Ted Leonsis. In 2005, the team finished the regular season with a win/loss record of 16-18 and failed to make the playoffs.
In 2006, the Mystics posted a 18-16 record thriving under star guard Alana Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
who was drafted in 2004
2004 WNBA Draft
2004 WNBA Draft - 17 April 2004On January 6, 2004 a dispersal draft took place. Players were drafted from the roster of the Cleveland Rockers, who folded after the 2003 season....
. The Mystics entered the playoffs as the 4th seed. In the first round, Washington was ultimately swept by the Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
, the first-seeded team in the East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
. This ended the 2006 season for the Mystics, who had started to see a glint of hope for their struggling franchise.
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 an identical record as the New York Liberty
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
. 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)
In 2008, the Mystics looked to build on their near-playoff appearance in a tough Eastern conference. They drafted Crystal LanghorneCrystal Langhorne
- External links :* at University of Maryland website.* at...
of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
with the 6th pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft
2008 WNBA Draft
The 2008 WNBA Draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 9, 2008....
. Plagues again by coaches problems, the Mystics fell to the bottom of the East again, finishing only in front of the expansion Atlanta
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
team. The Mystics had gone through 10 coaches in 11 years of existence, the most in the WNBA. The Washington front office knew it needed to completely clean out the franchise if success was desired.
Changes, Part Two (2009–present)
During the 2008/2009 WNBA offseason, 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 HoustonHouston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
dispersal draft and the 2009 WNBA Draft
2009 WNBA Draft
The 2009 WNBA Draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 9, 2009. The first round was shown on ESPN2 at 3:00pm ET, while the second and third rounds were shown on ESPNU and NBA TV at...
, the Mystics selected Matee Ajavon
Matee Ajavon
Matee Ajavon is a Liberian American player in the WNBA for the Washington Mystics. A 5'8" guard, Ajavon was chosen by the Houston Comets as the fifth overall draft pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft.-Early life:...
and Marissa Coleman
Marissa Coleman
Marissa Coleman is an American professional basketball player. She currently plays the forward position for the Washington Mystics in the WNBA.-Personal life:...
, 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 actually good enough to reach the playoffs. However, in their playoff comeback, the eventual conference champion Indiana Fever
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
were too much for Washington to handle and the Mystics were swept in the first round, ending their season.
The Mystics had their best season ever in 2010
2010 WNBA season
The 2010 WNBA season was the 14th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began with a televised meeting between the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in Phoenix, Arizona on May 15. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 10th Annual All-Star...
. Led by Lindsey Harding
Lindsey Harding
Lindsey Marcie Harding is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the Atlanta Dream. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up in Houston, Texas.-College career:...
, Katie Smith
Katie Smith
Katherine May "Katie" Smith is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA. Her primary position is shooting guard, although she sometimes plays small forward or point guard. She is the all time leading scorer in women's professional basketball, having notched over 7000 points in both...
, and Crystal Langhorne
Crystal Langhorne
- External links :* at University of Maryland website.* at...
, the Mystics took first place in the East with a record of 22-12. They were swept in the first round by the eventual Finals-contender Atlanta Dream
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
.
Prior to the 2011 season
2011 WNBA season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 15th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on June 3 with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Minnesota Lynx, featuring 2011 WNBA Draft top pick Maya Moore, in a game televised on NBA TV...
, 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. Harding and Smith were both traded away (to Atlanta
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
and Seattle
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, respectively). Furthermore, general manager Angela Taylor and head coach Julie Plank
Julie Plank
Julie Plank is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-Career:Julie Plank was named the head coach of the Washington Mystics on November 6, 2008...
were relieved of their duties, as Trudi Lacey
Trudi Lacey
Trudi Lacey is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-References:*...
was named to both positions in a decision seemingly related to cost-cutting. The questionable decisions came to fruition when the Mystics started the season 3-11.
Uniforms
- 1998–2010: white with black and gold outlines at home, dark blue with black and gold outlines on the road.
- 2011–present: white with red and blue outlines at home, red with white and blue outlines on the road. Both jerseys display the Inova Health SystemInova Health SystemInova Health System is a non-profit health organization based in Falls Church, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. Inova Health System is a network of hospitals, outpatient services, assisted living and long-term care facilities, and healthcare centers....
name on the front.
"Attendance Champions"
The Washington Mystics led the WNBA in home attendance from 1998 through 2000 and from 2002 through 2004. To celebrate the fans turning out for games, they have hung six banners from the Verizon CenterVerizon Center
Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...
rafters celebrating each year the Mystics were "Attendance Champions." Part of their fan base was the lesbian community, which embraced the team early and has contributed significantly to the team's attendance records.
Georgetown Hoyas
Georgetown's nickname is The Hoyas, but its mascot is "Jack the Bulldog." Various breeds of dogs have been used by the sports teams as mascots since the early 1900s. Several notable bull terriers like Sergeant Stubby and "Hoya" were used at football games in the 1920s, as was a Great Dane in the...
and the '78 Washington Bullets) and retired numbers (for the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
and the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
) hang next to "attendance champion" banners.
Members of the press have addressed this controversy many times. Washington City Paper
Washington City Paper
The Washington City Paper is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.Founded in 1981, and published for its first year under the masthead 1981, taking the City Paper name in volume 2, by Russ Smith, it shared ownership with the Chicago Reader from 1982...
has called them "embarrassing", a 2005 ESPN.com article by Todd Wright
Todd Wright
Todd Wright is an American sports radio personality. He is currently the host of Todd Wright Tonight on Yahoo Sports Radio, which debuted on Monday, June 12, 2006 and airs Monday to Friday from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. ....
had Wright commenting " it's time to lose those Mystics attendance banners hanging from the rafters", the Sports Road Trip website mocked the banners by stating "Oh... Mystics... WNBA "attendance champions" in '98 and '99. "Wheeeeeeee!". When Washington Post writer Jon Gallo was asked about the banners, he stated "The attendance banners were largely achieved because the Mystics gave away approximately 30 percent of their tickets before Sheila Johnson took over the team. If the Mystics had made everyone pay for a ticket, then they would not have had the best attendance in the league.".
As of February 2008 only three of the attendance banners - the two earliest ones (1998 and 1999) and the one for 2002 (only Mystics team to win a playoff series to date) - hung in the Verizon Center rafters; the other three were removed to make room for a Georgetown Final Four (men's basketball) banner, to go next to that team's 1984 national championship banner.
In the 2009 season, the Mystics once again led the WNBA in attendance at 11,338 per game; however, in an entry on his blog, Ted Leonsis, whose Lincoln Holdings owns the Mystics, promised that there will be no attendance banner for 2009 should the Mystics conclude the season with the attendance lead http://www.tedstake.com/2009/07/13/mystics-lead-wnba-in-attendance-after-first-report/#more-4346.
In a blog entry of 7 May 2010, Leonsis announced that the banners would be coming down.
Season-by-season records
{|class="navbox wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align: center; width: 85%;"|-
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 10%;"| Season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 8%;" | Team
!rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 12%;" | Conference
!colspan="3" style="background:#eee; width: 15%;"| Regular season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 30%;"| Playoff
WNBA Playoffs
The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals....
Results
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 13%;"| Head coach
|-
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|W
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|L
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|PCT
|-
|colspan="9" align=center bgcolor="#054EA4" | Washington Mystics
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1998
1998 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| 1998
1998 Washington Mystics season
The 1998 WNBA season was the first for the Washington Mystics.-WNBA Draft:*First Round, Murriel Page, 3rd Pick Overall*Second Round, Rita Williams, 13th Pick Overall*Third Round, Angela Hamblin, 23rd Pick Overall*Fourth Round, Angela Jackson, 33rd Pick Overall...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 5th
| 3
| 27
| .100
| Did not qualify
| J. Lewis (2–16)
C. Parson
Cathy Parson
Cathy Parson is the head women's basketball coach at Howard. She is currently in her eighth season as the head coach at Howard, and has compild a 99-100 record in her first seven seasons. She led the Lady Bison to two regular season MEAC titles. The 2001 team won the MEAC tournament title...
(1–11)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1999
1999 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| 1999
1999 Washington Mystics season
The 1999 WNBA season was the second for the Washington Mystics. In the 1999 WNBA Draft, Chamique Holdsclaw was selected by the Washington Mystics 1st overall. In her first season, she was named the Rookie of the Year and was a starter in the inaugural WNBA All-Star Game...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 5th
| 12
| 20
| .375
| Did not qualify
| Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch is an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association. She started her professional coaching career in the WNBA's inaugural season with the New York Liberty. As the head coach, Darsch led the Liberty to a 17–11 season and the team advanced to the...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2000
2000 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| 2000
2000 Washington Mystics season
The 2000 WNBA season was the 3rd season for the Washington Mystics. The team clinched their first WNBA Playoff berth, eventually losing in a sweep to the New York Liberty.-Offseason:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 4th
| 14
| 18
| .438
| Lost Conference Semifinals (New York
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
, 0–2)
| N. Darsch
Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch is an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association. She started her professional coaching career in the WNBA's inaugural season with the New York Liberty. As the head coach, Darsch led the Liberty to a 17–11 season and the team advanced to the...
(9–11)
D. Walker
Darrell Walker
Darrell Walker is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. At 6'4" and 180 lb , he played as a guard...
(5–7)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2001
2001 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| 2001
2001 Washington Mystics season
The 2001 WNBA season was the 4th season for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-References:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 8th
| 10
| 22
| .313
| Did not qualify
| Tom Maher
Tom Maher
Tom Maher is a basketball coach from Australia, who is the most successful coach in the WNBL history, having won seven WNBL titles...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2002
2002 WNBA season
-External links:***...
| 2002
2002 Washington Mystics season
The 2002 WNBA season was the fifth for the Washington Mystics.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:Note: GP= Games played; MIN= Minutes; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average-Playoffs:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 3rd
| 17
| 15
| .531
| Won Conference Semifinals (Charlotte
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
, 2–0)
Lost Conference Finals (New York
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
, 1–2)
| Marianne Stanley
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2003
2003 WNBA season
-External links:***...
| 2003
2003 Washington Mystics season
The 2003 WNBA season was the 6th for the Washington Mystics.-Dispersal Draft:-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-References:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 7th
| 9
| 25
| .265
| Did not qualify
| Marianne Stanley
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2004
2004 WNBA season
-External links:***...
| 2004
2004 Washington Mystics season
The 2004 WNBA season was the 7th for the Washington Mystics. The franchise drafted Alana Beard as the 2nd pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft, who later led the team to the playoffs for the first time in two years.-Dispersal Draft:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 4th
| 17
| 17
| .500
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Connecticut
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
, 1–2)
| Michael Adams
Michael Adams (basketball)
Michael Adams is a former NBA player and basketball coach.After starring at Boston College, the 5'10" point guard was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the 3rd round with the 66th pick of the 1985 NBA Draft...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2005
2005 WNBA season
-External links:***...
| 2005
2005 Washington Mystics season
The 2005 WNBA season was the 8th for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics gave it their all, but they fell short for the playoffs, losing a tiebreaker to the Detroit Shock.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-External links:*...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 5th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Did not qualify
| Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2006
2006 WNBA season
-External links:*******...
| 2006
2006 Washington Mystics season
The 2006 WNBA season was the 9th for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics successfully reached the playoffs, but they were later swept in the opening round to the Connecticut Sun.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Player stats:-External links:*...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 4th
| 18
| 16
| .529
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Connecticut
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
, 0–2)
| Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2007
2007 WNBA season
-External links:* * * * * * * *...
| 2007
2007 Washington Mystics season
The 2007 WNBA season was the 10th for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics fell short for the playoffs, losing in a tiebreaker to the New York Liberty.-Dispersal Draft:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 5th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Did not qualify
| R. Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
(0–4)
T. Rollins
Tree Rollins
Wayne Monte "Tree" Rollins is a retired American professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. He was primarily known under his playing name, Tree...
(16–14)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2008
2008 WNBA season
-Season Highlights:*Candace Parker becomes the second and third player in WNBA history to dunk in a regular season game.*A fight breaks out between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock resulting in four ejections and ten suspensions....
| 2008
2008 Washington Mystics season
The 2008 WNBA season was the 11th season for the Washington Mystics. Despite a 10-16 record before the WNBA break for the Beijing Olympics, Mystics officials said that attendance at Verizon Center had risen from nearly 1,200 fans a game over last season, with total ticket revenue up 17 percent and...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 6th
| 10
| 24
| .294
| Did not qualify
| T. Rollins
Tree Rollins
Wayne Monte "Tree" Rollins is a retired American professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. He was primarily known under his playing name, Tree...
(8–14)
J. Kenlaw (2–10)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2009
2009 WNBA season
The 2009 WNBA Season is the 13th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. It is the first WNBA season ever without a Houston franchise, the Comets having folded in December 2008...
| 2009
2009 Washington Mystics season
The 2009 WNBA season is the 12th season for the Washington Mystics franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Mystics successfully reached the playoffs for the first time in three years. They eventually lost to the Indiana Fever in the first round in a sweep.-Dispersal...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 4th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, 0–2)
| Julie Plank
Julie Plank
Julie Plank is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-Career:Julie Plank was named the head coach of the Washington Mystics on November 6, 2008...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2010
2010 WNBA season
The 2010 WNBA season was the 14th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began with a televised meeting between the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in Phoenix, Arizona on May 15. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 10th Annual All-Star...
| 2010
2010 Washington Mystics season
The 2010 WNBA season is the 13th season for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association.-Dispersal draft:Based on the Mystics' 2009 record, they would pick 6th in the Sacramento Monarchs dispersal draft...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 1st
| 22
| 12
| .647
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Atlanta
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
, 0–2)
| Julie Plank
Julie Plank
Julie Plank is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-Career:Julie Plank was named the head coach of the Washington Mystics on November 6, 2008...
|-
|colspan="9" align=center bgcolor="#DC143C" | Washington Mystics
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2011
2011 WNBA season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 15th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on June 3 with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Minnesota Lynx, featuring 2011 WNBA Draft top pick Maya Moore, in a game televised on NBA TV...
| 2011
2011 Washington Mystics season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 14th season for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association.-WNBA Draft:The following are the Mystics' selections in the 2011 WNBA Draft.-Transaction log:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 6th
| 6
| 28
| .176
| Did not qualify
| Trudi Lacey
Trudi Lacey
Trudi Lacey is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-References:*...
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Regular season
|style="background:#eee;"| 186
|style="background:#eee;"| 278
|style="background:#eee;"| .401
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 0 Conference Championships
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Playoffs
|style="background:#eee;"| 4
|style="background:#eee;"| 12
|style="background:#eee;"| .250
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 0 WNBA Championships
|}
Former players
- Nikki BlueNikki BlueAnitra Necole Blue better known as Nikki Blue is a professional basketball player with the New York Liberty of the WNBA and an assistant coach at UNLV.-High school:...
(2006–2009) - Kiesha BrownKiesha BrownKiesha Brown is an American professional basketball player.-High school:White attended Woodward Academy in Atlanta, where she was named a High School All-American by the WBCA...
(2002–2005) - Vicky BullettVicky BullettVictoria Bullett is an American former professional basketball player. She played for the Charlotte Sting and Washington Mystics in the WNBA, as well as for European and South American professional teams, the U.S. Olympic team, and the University of Maryland Terrapins...
(2000–2002) - Stacey Dales-Schuman (2002–2004)
- Lindsey HardingLindsey HardingLindsey Marcie Harding is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the Atlanta Dream. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up in Houston, Texas.-College career:...
(2009–2010), now a member of the Atlanta DreamAtlanta DreamThe Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta... - Chamique HoldsclawChamique HoldsclawChamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(1999–2004) - Asjha JonesAsjha JonesAsjha Takera Jones is a professional basketball player. She plays the power forward position for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA.-Early years:...
(2002–2003), now a member of the Connecticut SunConnecticut SunThe Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season... - Nikki McCrayNikki McCrayNikki McCray is a former American professional basketball player. She played in the Women's National Basketball Association for eight seasons....
(1998–2001) - Taj McWilliams-Franklin (2008), now a member of the Minnesota LynxMinnesota LynxThe Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...
- Chasity MelvinChasity MelvinChasity Melvin is an American professional basketball player originally from Roseboro, North Carolina.A 6'3" forward, Melvin has played in the WNBA since 1999, competing for the Cleveland Rockers, the Washington Mystics, and the Chicago Sky. Through twelve seasons in the league, she holds career...
(2004–2007, 2009–2010) - Coco MillerCoco Miller-External links:**...
(2001–2008), now a member of the Atlanta DreamAtlanta DreamThe Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta... - DeLisha Milton-JonesDeLisha Milton-JonesDeLisha Milton-Jones is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association . Milton-Jones played college basketball for the University of Florida. In her twelve-season WNBA career, she has played for the Washington Mystics and Los...
(2005–2007), now a member of the Los Angeles SparksLos Angeles SparksThe Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began... - Murriel PageMurriel PageLaMurriel "Murriel" Page is a former American college and professional basketball player who was a forward and center in the Women's National Basketball Association for eleven seasons. Page played college basketball for the University of Florida, and was drafted in the first round of the 1998...
(1998–2005) - Nakia SanfordNakia SanfordNakia Sanford is a professional basketball player. She currently plays the center position for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA.-College career:...
(2003–2010), now a member of the Phoenix MercuryPhoenix MercuryThe Phoenix Mercury is a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; it is one of the eight original franchises... - Katie SmithKatie SmithKatherine May "Katie" Smith is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA. Her primary position is shooting guard, although she sometimes plays small forward or point guard. She is the all time leading scorer in women's professional basketball, having notched over 7000 points in both...
(2010), now a member of the Seattle StormSeattle StormThe Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began... - Nikki TeasleyNikki TeasleyNikki Teasley is a basketball player in the WNBA.She played college basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill....
(2006–2007)
Owners
- Abe PollinAbe PollinAbe Pollin was the owner of a number of professional sports teams including the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League , the Washington Mystics in the Women's National Basketball Association , and the Washington Wizards in the National Basketball Association...
, owner of the Washington WizardsWashington WizardsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
(1998–2005) - Monumental Sports & Entertainment/Ted LeonsisTed LeonsisTheodore John Leonsis is an Internet pioneer, sports team owner, venture capital investor, filmmaker, author and philanthropist. His early new media company, Redgate Communications was acquired by America Online in 1994, and Leonsis became a senior AOL executive for the next 13 years...
, owner of the Washington WizardsWashington WizardsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
(2005–present)
Head coaches
{| class="toccolours" width=90% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#DC143C; color:#FFFFFF" | Washington Mystics head coaches
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="15%" rowspan="2" | Name
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | Start
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | End
! width="5%" rowspan="2" | Seasons
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Regular season
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Playoffs
|-
! W !! L !! PCT !! G !! W !! L !! PCT !! G
|-
| Jim Lewis || December 29, 1997 || July 24, 1998 || 1 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|16 || width="5%"|.111 || width="5%"|18 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Cathy Parson
Cathy Parson
Cathy Parson is the head women's basketball coach at Howard. She is currently in her eighth season as the head coach at Howard, and has compild a 99-100 record in her first seven seasons. She led the Lady Bison to two regular season MEAC titles. The 2001 team won the MEAC tournament title...
|| July 24, 1998 || end of 1998
1998 WNBA season
-External links:**...
|| 1 || width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|11 || width="5%"|.083 || width="5%"|12 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch is an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association. She started her professional coaching career in the WNBA's inaugural season with the New York Liberty. As the head coach, Darsch led the Liberty to a 17–11 season and the team advanced to the...
|| February 18, 1999 || July 14, 2000 || 2 || width="5%"|21 || width="5%"|32 || width="5%"|.396 || width="5%"|53 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Darrell Walker
Darrell Walker
Darrell Walker is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. At 6'4" and 180 lb , he played as a guard...
|| July 14, 2000 || end of 2000
2000 WNBA season
-External links:**...
|| 1 || width="5%"|5 || width="5%"|7 || width="5%"|.417 || width="5%"|12 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|2
|-
| Tom Maher
Tom Maher
Tom Maher is a basketball coach from Australia, who is the most successful coach in the WNBL history, having won seven WNBL titles...
|| December 21, 2000 || January 4, 2002 || 1 || width="5%"|10 || width="5%"|22 || width="5%"|.313 || width="5%"|32 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Marianne Stanley || April 5, 2002 || January 21, 2004 || 2 || width="5%"|26 || width="5%"|40 || width="5%"|.394 || width="5%"|66 ||width="5%"|3 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|.600 || width="5%"|5
|-
| Michael Adams
Michael Adams (basketball)
Michael Adams is a former NBA player and basketball coach.After starring at Boston College, the 5'10" point guard was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the 3rd round with the 66th pick of the 1985 NBA Draft...
|| February 17, 2004 || April 15, 2005 || 1 || width="5%"|17 || width="5%"|17 || width="5%"|.500 || width="5%"|34 ||width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|.333 || width="5%"|3
|-
| Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
|| April 21, 2005 || June 1, 2007 || 3 || width="5%"|34 || width="5%"|38 || width="5%"|.472 || width="5%"|72 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|2|| width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|2
|-
| Tree Rollins
Tree Rollins
Wayne Monte "Tree" Rollins is a retired American professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. He was primarily known under his playing name, Tree...
|| June 1, 2007 || July 19, 2008 || 2 || width="5%"|24 || width="5%"|28 || width="5%"|.462 || width="5%"|52 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Jessie Kenlaw || July 19, 2008 || end of 2008
2008 WNBA season
-Season Highlights:*Candace Parker becomes the second and third player in WNBA history to dunk in a regular season game.*A fight breaks out between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock resulting in four ejections and ten suspensions....
|| 1 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|10 || width="5%"|.167 || width="5%"|12 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Julie Plank
Julie Plank
Julie Plank is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-Career:Julie Plank was named the head coach of the Washington Mystics on November 6, 2008...
|| November 6, 2008 || November 1, 2010 || 2 || width="5%"|38 || width="5%"|30 || width="5%"|.559 || width="5%"|68 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|4 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|4
|-
| Trudi Lacey
Trudi Lacey
Trudi Lacey is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-References:*...
|| November 1, 2010 || Current || 1 || width="5%"|6 || width="5%"|28 || width="5%"|.176 || width="5%"|34 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|}
General managers
- Melissa McFerrin (1998–2001)
- Judy Holland-Burton (2002–2004)
- Linda Hargrove (2005–2008)
- Angela Taylor (2009–2010)
- Trudi LaceyTrudi LaceyTrudi Lacey is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-References:*...
(2011–present)
Assistant coaches
- Cathy ParsonCathy ParsonCathy Parson is the head women's basketball coach at Howard. She is currently in her eighth season as the head coach at Howard, and has compild a 99-100 record in her first seven seasons. She led the Lady Bison to two regular season MEAC titles. The 2001 team won the MEAC tournament title...
(1998) - Wes Unseld, Jr. (1998)
- Melissa McFerrin (1999–2001)
- Jenny BoucekJenny BoucekJenny Boucek is a former basketball player and coach. From 1999 to 2005, she served as an assistant coach for various teams in the WNBA. She was named as the Head Coach for the Sacramento Monarchs on November 15, 2006...
(1999) - Tyrone Beaman (2000)
- Marianne Stanley (2001, 2010–present)
- Linda Hill-MacDonald (2002–2003)
- Ledell Eackels (2002–2003)
- Linda Hargrove (2004)
- Stephanie Ready (2004)
- Marynell MeadorsMarynell MeadorsMarynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in...
(2005–2006) - Jeff House (2005–2006)
- Crystal RobinsonCrystal RobinsonCrystal Robinson , is a former Women's National Basketball Association player who played for the Washington Mystics and New York Liberty. She grew up in Atoka, Oklahoma.-High school:...
(2007–2008) - Jessie Kenlaw (2007–2008)
- Lubomyr Lichonczak (2009)
- Vanessa NygaardVanessa NygaardVanessa Nygaard is a former professional basketball player and a collegiate assistant coach. She is currently serving as an assistant coach with the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .- Stanford University :After graduating from high school in Carlsbad, California,...
(2009) - Vicky BullettVicky BullettVictoria Bullett is an American former professional basketball player. She played for the Charlotte Sting and Washington Mystics in the WNBA, as well as for European and South American professional teams, the U.S. Olympic team, and the University of Maryland Terrapins...
(2009) - Trudi LaceyTrudi LaceyTrudi Lacey is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-References:*...
(2010) - Laurie Byrd (2011–present)
Statistics
{| class="toccolours" width=80% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#DC143C; color:#FFFFFF" | Washington Mystics statistics
|- valign="top"
|
1990s
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
Field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
|-
| 1998
1998 Washington Mystics season
The 1998 WNBA season was the first for the Washington Mystics.-WNBA Draft:*First Round, Murriel Page, 3rd Pick Overall*Second Round, Rita Williams, 13th Pick Overall*Third Round, Angela Hamblin, 23rd Pick Overall*Fourth Round, Angela Jackson, 33rd Pick Overall...
| N. McCray
Nikki McCray
Nikki McCray is a former American professional basketball player. She played in the Women's National Basketball Association for eight seasons....
(17.7)
| A. Santos de Oliveira (8.1)
| N. McCray
Nikki McCray
Nikki McCray is a former American professional basketball player. She played in the Women's National Basketball Association for eight seasons....
(3.1)
| 65.1 vs 80.5
| 30.8 vs 34.5
| .395 vs .468
|-
| 1999
1999 Washington Mystics season
The 1999 WNBA season was the second for the Washington Mystics. In the 1999 WNBA Draft, Chamique Holdsclaw was selected by the Washington Mystics 1st overall. In her first season, she was named the Rookie of the Year and was a starter in the inaugural WNBA All-Star Game...
| N. McCray
Nikki McCray
Nikki McCray is a former American professional basketball player. She played in the Women's National Basketball Association for eight seasons....
(17.5)
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(7.9)
| A. Nagy
Andrea Nagy
Andrea Nagy is a retired professional basketball player. After a stand-out career playing at Florida International University, Nagy was drafted into the ABL before finishing her career in the WNBA playing as a point guard....
(4.6)
| 65.6 vs 70.2
| 31.7 vs 31.1
| .423 vs .415
|}
|
2000s
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
Field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
|-
| 2000
2000 Washington Mystics season
The 2000 WNBA season was the 3rd season for the Washington Mystics. The team clinched their first WNBA Playoff berth, eventually losing in a sweep to the New York Liberty.-Offseason:...
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(17.5)
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(7.5)
| A. Nagy
Andrea Nagy
Andrea Nagy is a retired professional basketball player. After a stand-out career playing at Florida International University, Nagy was drafted into the ABL before finishing her career in the WNBA playing as a point guard....
(5.1)
| 68.0 vs 69.4
| 29.6 vs 28.5
| .459 vs .451
|-
| 2001
2001 Washington Mystics season
The 2001 WNBA season was the 4th season for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-References:...
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(16.8)
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(8.8)
| A. Burgess (2.8)
| 60.3 vs 64.8
| 33.0 vs 33.4
| .386 vs .407
|-
| 2002
2002 Washington Mystics season
The 2002 WNBA season was the fifth for the Washington Mystics.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:Note: GP= Games played; MIN= Minutes; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average-Playoffs:...
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(19.9)
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(11.6)
| A. Burgess (3.6)
| 66.7 vs 66.1
| 32.4 vs 30.9
| .422 vs .413
|-
| 2003
2003 Washington Mystics season
The 2003 WNBA season was the 6th for the Washington Mystics.-Dispersal Draft:-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-References:...
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(20.5)
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(10.9)
| S. Dales
Stacey Dales
Stacey Dales, is a former Canadian basketball player and a current host on the NFL Network.-Basketball:...
(3.4)
| 68.5 vs 73.5
| 31.9 vs 32.8
| .409 vs .447
|-
| 2004
2004 Washington Mystics season
The 2004 WNBA season was the 7th for the Washington Mystics. The franchise drafted Alana Beard as the 2nd pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft, who later led the team to the playoffs for the first time in two years.-Dispersal Draft:...
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(19.0)
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(8.3)
| A. Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
(2.7)
| 68.4 vs 70.1
| 31.3 vs 32.5
| .418 vs .429
|-
| 2005
2005 Washington Mystics season
The 2005 WNBA season was the 8th for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics gave it their all, but they fell short for the playoffs, losing a tiebreaker to the Detroit Shock.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-External links:*...
| A. Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
(14.1)
| C. Melvin
Chasity Melvin
Chasity Melvin is an American professional basketball player originally from Roseboro, North Carolina.A 6'3" forward, Melvin has played in the WNBA since 1999, competing for the Cleveland Rockers, the Washington Mystics, and the Chicago Sky. Through twelve seasons in the league, she holds career...
(5.9)
| T. Johnson
Temeka Johnson
Temeka Rochelle Johnson is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA. Her primary position is point guard.-College years:...
(5.2)
| 66.6 vs 67.8
| 27.7 vs 30.1
| .430 vs .445
|-
| 2006
2006 Washington Mystics season
The 2006 WNBA season was the 9th for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics successfully reached the playoffs, but they were later swept in the opening round to the Connecticut Sun.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Player stats:-External links:*...
| A. Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
(19.2)
| C. Melvin
Chasity Melvin
Chasity Melvin is an American professional basketball player originally from Roseboro, North Carolina.A 6'3" forward, Melvin has played in the WNBA since 1999, competing for the Cleveland Rockers, the Washington Mystics, and the Chicago Sky. Through twelve seasons in the league, she holds career...
(6.6)
| N. Teasley
Nikki Teasley
Nikki Teasley is a basketball player in the WNBA.She played college basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill....
(5.4)
| 80.8 vs 78.1
| 32.4 vs 30.6
| .462 vs .432
|-
| 2007
2007 Washington Mystics season
The 2007 WNBA season was the 10th for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics fell short for the playoffs, losing in a tiebreaker to the New York Liberty.-Dispersal Draft:...
| A. Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
(18.8)
| N. Sanford
Nakia Sanford
Nakia Sanford is a professional basketball player. She currently plays the center position for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA.-College career:...
(7.1)
| N. Teasley
Nikki Teasley
Nikki Teasley is a basketball player in the WNBA.She played college basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill....
(3.3)
| 76.0 vs 77.6
| 32.9 vs 35.5
| .404 vs .417
|-
| 2008
2008 Washington Mystics season
The 2008 WNBA season was the 11th season for the Washington Mystics. Despite a 10-16 record before the WNBA break for the Beijing Olympics, Mystics officials said that attendance at Verizon Center had risen from nearly 1,200 fans a game over last season, with total ticket revenue up 17 percent and...
| A. Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
(16.1)
| N. Sanford
Nakia Sanford
Nakia Sanford is a professional basketball player. She currently plays the center position for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA.-College career:...
(5.7)
| A. Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
(3.5)
| 69.6 vs 76.5
| 33.3 vs 32.1
| .415 vs .443
|-
| 2009
2009 Washington Mystics season
The 2009 WNBA season is the 12th season for the Washington Mystics franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Mystics successfully reached the playoffs for the first time in three years. They eventually lost to the Indiana Fever in the first round in a sweep.-Dispersal...
| A. Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
(15.9)
| C. Langhorne
Crystal Langhorne
- External links :* at University of Maryland website.* at...
(7.9)
| L. Harding
Lindsey Harding
Lindsey Marcie Harding is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the Atlanta Dream. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up in Houston, Texas.-College career:...
(4.5)
| 76.0 vs 77.1
| 35.0 vs 32.7
| .423 vs .433
|}
|
The Washington Mystics is a professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team based in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, playing in the Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
in the Women's National Basketball Association
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
(WNBA). The team was founded prior to the 1998 season
1998 WNBA season
-External links:**...
. The team is owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment (led by Ted Leonsis
Ted Leonsis
Theodore John Leonsis is an Internet pioneer, sports team owner, venture capital investor, filmmaker, author and philanthropist. His early new media company, Redgate Communications was acquired by America Online in 1994, and Leonsis became a senior AOL executive for the next 13 years...
), who also owns the Mystics' NBA counterpart, the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
. Sheila C. Johnson
Sheila Johnson
Sheila Crump Johnson is the team president, managing partner, and governor of the WNBA's Washington Mystics, a position she gained before the 2005 season. On May 24, 2005, Washington Sports and Entertainment Chairman, Abe Pollin, sold the Mystics to Lincoln Holdings LLC, where Johnson served as...
, co-founder of BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
and ex-wife of Charlotte Sting
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
owner Robert L. Johnson
Robert L. Johnson
Robert L. Johnson is an American business magnate best known for being the founder of television network Black Entertainment Television , and is also its former chairman and chief executive officer...
, is the managing partner.
The Mystics have qualified for the WNBA Playoffs
WNBA Playoffs
The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals....
in only six of its thirteen years in Washington. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
standout Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
, athletic shooting guard Alana Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
, and nearby Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
product Crystal Langhorne
Crystal Langhorne
- External links :* at University of Maryland website.* at...
. Despite having talented rosters, the Mystics have the most playoff appearances (6) without making it to the WNBA Finals
WNBA Finals
The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002....
. They have only been to the Conference Finals once, losing to New York
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
in 2002
2002 WNBA season
-External links:***...
.
One of the first, one of the worst (1998–2004)
Nikki McCray
Nikki McCray is a former American professional basketball player. She played in the Women's National Basketball Association for eight seasons....
. Although they did not make the playoffs that year, the team had high expectations after drafting University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
star Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
in 1999, which Washington improved, but 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 losing record of 14-18, losing to the New York Liberty
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
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 and 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
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
in the first round, but lose to New York again in the Eastern Conference Finals 2 games to 1. In 2003, the Mystics would make a franchise second worst record in franchise history with a 9-25 record, dead 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
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
. With their all-star out, rookie and Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
standout Alana Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
led a depleted Mystics team to a surprising playoff appearance, the third playoff appearance in Mystics history. They finished the 2004 season at .500 (17-17), but lost in the first round to the Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
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 SparksLos Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...
and the team was sold by Washington Sports and Entertainment to Lincoln Holdings LLC, led by Ted Leonsis. In 2005, the team finished the regular season with a win/loss record of 16-18 and failed to make the playoffs.
In 2006, the Mystics posted a 18-16 record thriving under star guard Alana Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
who was drafted in 2004
2004 WNBA Draft
2004 WNBA Draft - 17 April 2004On January 6, 2004 a dispersal draft took place. Players were drafted from the roster of the Cleveland Rockers, who folded after the 2003 season....
. The Mystics entered the playoffs as the 4th seed. In the first round, Washington was ultimately swept by the Connecticut Sun
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
, the first-seeded team in the East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
. This ended the 2006 season for the Mystics, who had started to see a glint of hope for their struggling franchise.
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 an identical record as the New York Liberty
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
. 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)
In 2008, the Mystics looked to build on their near-playoff appearance in a tough Eastern conference. They drafted Crystal LanghorneCrystal Langhorne
- External links :* at University of Maryland website.* at...
of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
with the 6th pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft
2008 WNBA Draft
The 2008 WNBA Draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 9, 2008....
. Plagues again by coaches problems, the Mystics fell to the bottom of the East again, finishing only in front of the expansion Atlanta
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
team. The Mystics had gone through 10 coaches in 11 years of existence, the most in the WNBA. The Washington front office knew it needed to completely clean out the franchise if success was desired.
Changes, Part Two (2009–present)
During the 2008/2009 WNBA offseason, 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 HoustonHouston Comets
The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
dispersal draft and the 2009 WNBA Draft
2009 WNBA Draft
The 2009 WNBA Draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 9, 2009. The first round was shown on ESPN2 at 3:00pm ET, while the second and third rounds were shown on ESPNU and NBA TV at...
, the Mystics selected Matee Ajavon
Matee Ajavon
Matee Ajavon is a Liberian American player in the WNBA for the Washington Mystics. A 5'8" guard, Ajavon was chosen by the Houston Comets as the fifth overall draft pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft.-Early life:...
and Marissa Coleman
Marissa Coleman
Marissa Coleman is an American professional basketball player. She currently plays the forward position for the Washington Mystics in the WNBA.-Personal life:...
, 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 actually good enough to reach the playoffs. However, in their playoff comeback, the eventual conference champion Indiana Fever
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
were too much for Washington to handle and the Mystics were swept in the first round, ending their season.
The Mystics had their best season ever in 2010
2010 WNBA season
The 2010 WNBA season was the 14th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began with a televised meeting between the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in Phoenix, Arizona on May 15. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 10th Annual All-Star...
. Led by Lindsey Harding
Lindsey Harding
Lindsey Marcie Harding is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the Atlanta Dream. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up in Houston, Texas.-College career:...
, Katie Smith
Katie Smith
Katherine May "Katie" Smith is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA. Her primary position is shooting guard, although she sometimes plays small forward or point guard. She is the all time leading scorer in women's professional basketball, having notched over 7000 points in both...
, and Crystal Langhorne
Crystal Langhorne
- External links :* at University of Maryland website.* at...
, the Mystics took first place in the East with a record of 22-12. They were swept in the first round by the eventual Finals-contender Atlanta Dream
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
.
Prior to the 2011 season
2011 WNBA season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 15th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on June 3 with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Minnesota Lynx, featuring 2011 WNBA Draft top pick Maya Moore, in a game televised on NBA TV...
, 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. Harding and Smith were both traded away (to Atlanta
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
and Seattle
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, respectively). Furthermore, general manager Angela Taylor and head coach Julie Plank
Julie Plank
Julie Plank is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-Career:Julie Plank was named the head coach of the Washington Mystics on November 6, 2008...
were relieved of their duties, as Trudi Lacey
Trudi Lacey
Trudi Lacey is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-References:*...
was named to both positions in a decision seemingly related to cost-cutting. The questionable decisions came to fruition when the Mystics started the season 3-11.
Uniforms
- 1998–2010: white with black and gold outlines at home, dark blue with black and gold outlines on the road.
- 2011–present: white with red and blue outlines at home, red with white and blue outlines on the road. Both jerseys display the Inova Health SystemInova Health SystemInova Health System is a non-profit health organization based in Falls Church, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. Inova Health System is a network of hospitals, outpatient services, assisted living and long-term care facilities, and healthcare centers....
name on the front.
"Attendance Champions"
The Washington Mystics led the WNBA in home attendance from 1998 through 2000 and from 2002 through 2004. To celebrate the fans turning out for games, they have hung six banners from the Verizon CenterVerizon Center
Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...
rafters celebrating each year the Mystics were "Attendance Champions." Part of their fan base was the lesbian community, which embraced the team early and has contributed significantly to the team's attendance records.
Georgetown Hoyas
Georgetown's nickname is The Hoyas, but its mascot is "Jack the Bulldog." Various breeds of dogs have been used by the sports teams as mascots since the early 1900s. Several notable bull terriers like Sergeant Stubby and "Hoya" were used at football games in the 1920s, as was a Great Dane in the...
and the '78 Washington Bullets) and retired numbers (for the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
and the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
) hang next to "attendance champion" banners.
Members of the press have addressed this controversy many times. Washington City Paper
Washington City Paper
The Washington City Paper is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.Founded in 1981, and published for its first year under the masthead 1981, taking the City Paper name in volume 2, by Russ Smith, it shared ownership with the Chicago Reader from 1982...
has called them "embarrassing", a 2005 ESPN.com article by Todd Wright
Todd Wright
Todd Wright is an American sports radio personality. He is currently the host of Todd Wright Tonight on Yahoo Sports Radio, which debuted on Monday, June 12, 2006 and airs Monday to Friday from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. ....
had Wright commenting " it's time to lose those Mystics attendance banners hanging from the rafters", the Sports Road Trip website mocked the banners by stating "Oh... Mystics... WNBA "attendance champions" in '98 and '99. "Wheeeeeeee!". When Washington Post writer Jon Gallo was asked about the banners, he stated "The attendance banners were largely achieved because the Mystics gave away approximately 30 percent of their tickets before Sheila Johnson took over the team. If the Mystics had made everyone pay for a ticket, then they would not have had the best attendance in the league.".
As of February 2008 only three of the attendance banners - the two earliest ones (1998 and 1999) and the one for 2002 (only Mystics team to win a playoff series to date) - hung in the Verizon Center rafters; the other three were removed to make room for a Georgetown Final Four (men's basketball) banner, to go next to that team's 1984 national championship banner.
In the 2009 season, the Mystics once again led the WNBA in attendance at 11,338 per game; however, in an entry on his blog, Ted Leonsis, whose Lincoln Holdings owns the Mystics, promised that there will be no attendance banner for 2009 should the Mystics conclude the season with the attendance lead http://www.tedstake.com/2009/07/13/mystics-lead-wnba-in-attendance-after-first-report/#more-4346.
In a blog entry of 7 May 2010, Leonsis announced that the banners would be coming down.
Season-by-season records
{|class="navbox wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align: center; width: 85%;"|-
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 10%;"| Season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 8%;" | Team
!rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 12%;" | Conference
!colspan="3" style="background:#eee; width: 15%;"| Regular season
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 30%;"| Playoff
WNBA Playoffs
The WNBA Playoffs is a best-of-three elimination tournament between eight teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association , ultimately deciding the final two teams who will play in the WNBA Finals....
Results
!rowspan="2" style="background:#eee; width: 13%;"| Head coach
|-
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|W
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|L
!style="background:#eee; width: 5%;"|PCT
|-
|colspan="9" align=center bgcolor="#054EA4" | Washington Mystics
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1998
1998 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| 1998
1998 Washington Mystics season
The 1998 WNBA season was the first for the Washington Mystics.-WNBA Draft:*First Round, Murriel Page, 3rd Pick Overall*Second Round, Rita Williams, 13th Pick Overall*Third Round, Angela Hamblin, 23rd Pick Overall*Fourth Round, Angela Jackson, 33rd Pick Overall...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 5th
| 3
| 27
| .100
| Did not qualify
| J. Lewis (2–16)
C. Parson
Cathy Parson
Cathy Parson is the head women's basketball coach at Howard. She is currently in her eighth season as the head coach at Howard, and has compild a 99-100 record in her first seven seasons. She led the Lady Bison to two regular season MEAC titles. The 2001 team won the MEAC tournament title...
(1–11)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 1999
1999 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| 1999
1999 Washington Mystics season
The 1999 WNBA season was the second for the Washington Mystics. In the 1999 WNBA Draft, Chamique Holdsclaw was selected by the Washington Mystics 1st overall. In her first season, she was named the Rookie of the Year and was a starter in the inaugural WNBA All-Star Game...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 5th
| 12
| 20
| .375
| Did not qualify
| Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch is an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association. She started her professional coaching career in the WNBA's inaugural season with the New York Liberty. As the head coach, Darsch led the Liberty to a 17–11 season and the team advanced to the...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2000
2000 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| 2000
2000 Washington Mystics season
The 2000 WNBA season was the 3rd season for the Washington Mystics. The team clinched their first WNBA Playoff berth, eventually losing in a sweep to the New York Liberty.-Offseason:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 4th
| 14
| 18
| .438
| Lost Conference Semifinals (New York
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
, 0–2)
| N. Darsch
Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch is an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association. She started her professional coaching career in the WNBA's inaugural season with the New York Liberty. As the head coach, Darsch led the Liberty to a 17–11 season and the team advanced to the...
(9–11)
D. Walker
Darrell Walker
Darrell Walker is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. At 6'4" and 180 lb , he played as a guard...
(5–7)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2001
2001 WNBA season
-External links:**...
| 2001
2001 Washington Mystics season
The 2001 WNBA season was the 4th season for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-References:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 8th
| 10
| 22
| .313
| Did not qualify
| Tom Maher
Tom Maher
Tom Maher is a basketball coach from Australia, who is the most successful coach in the WNBL history, having won seven WNBL titles...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2002
2002 WNBA season
-External links:***...
| 2002
2002 Washington Mystics season
The 2002 WNBA season was the fifth for the Washington Mystics.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:Note: GP= Games played; MIN= Minutes; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average-Playoffs:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 3rd
| 17
| 15
| .531
| Won Conference Semifinals (Charlotte
Charlotte Sting
The Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
, 2–0)
Lost Conference Finals (New York
New York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
, 1–2)
| Marianne Stanley
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2003
2003 WNBA season
-External links:***...
| 2003
2003 Washington Mystics season
The 2003 WNBA season was the 6th for the Washington Mystics.-Dispersal Draft:-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-References:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 7th
| 9
| 25
| .265
| Did not qualify
| Marianne Stanley
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2004
2004 WNBA season
-External links:***...
| 2004
2004 Washington Mystics season
The 2004 WNBA season was the 7th for the Washington Mystics. The franchise drafted Alana Beard as the 2nd pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft, who later led the team to the playoffs for the first time in two years.-Dispersal Draft:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 4th
| 17
| 17
| .500
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Connecticut
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
, 1–2)
| Michael Adams
Michael Adams (basketball)
Michael Adams is a former NBA player and basketball coach.After starring at Boston College, the 5'10" point guard was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the 3rd round with the 66th pick of the 1985 NBA Draft...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2005
2005 WNBA season
-External links:***...
| 2005
2005 Washington Mystics season
The 2005 WNBA season was the 8th for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics gave it their all, but they fell short for the playoffs, losing a tiebreaker to the Detroit Shock.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-External links:*...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 5th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Did not qualify
| Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2006
2006 WNBA season
-External links:*******...
| 2006
2006 Washington Mystics season
The 2006 WNBA season was the 9th for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics successfully reached the playoffs, but they were later swept in the opening round to the Connecticut Sun.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Player stats:-External links:*...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 4th
| 18
| 16
| .529
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Connecticut
Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season...
, 0–2)
| Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2007
2007 WNBA season
-External links:* * * * * * * *...
| 2007
2007 Washington Mystics season
The 2007 WNBA season was the 10th for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics fell short for the playoffs, losing in a tiebreaker to the New York Liberty.-Dispersal Draft:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 5th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Did not qualify
| R. Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
(0–4)
T. Rollins
Tree Rollins
Wayne Monte "Tree" Rollins is a retired American professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. He was primarily known under his playing name, Tree...
(16–14)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2008
2008 WNBA season
-Season Highlights:*Candace Parker becomes the second and third player in WNBA history to dunk in a regular season game.*A fight breaks out between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock resulting in four ejections and ten suspensions....
| 2008
2008 Washington Mystics season
The 2008 WNBA season was the 11th season for the Washington Mystics. Despite a 10-16 record before the WNBA break for the Beijing Olympics, Mystics officials said that attendance at Verizon Center had risen from nearly 1,200 fans a game over last season, with total ticket revenue up 17 percent and...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 6th
| 10
| 24
| .294
| Did not qualify
| T. Rollins
Tree Rollins
Wayne Monte "Tree" Rollins is a retired American professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. He was primarily known under his playing name, Tree...
(8–14)
J. Kenlaw (2–10)
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2009
2009 WNBA season
The 2009 WNBA Season is the 13th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. It is the first WNBA season ever without a Houston franchise, the Comets having folded in December 2008...
| 2009
2009 Washington Mystics season
The 2009 WNBA season is the 12th season for the Washington Mystics franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Mystics successfully reached the playoffs for the first time in three years. They eventually lost to the Indiana Fever in the first round in a sweep.-Dispersal...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 4th
| 16
| 18
| .471
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Indiana
Indiana Fever
The Indiana Fever is a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
, 0–2)
| Julie Plank
Julie Plank
Julie Plank is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-Career:Julie Plank was named the head coach of the Washington Mystics on November 6, 2008...
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2010
2010 WNBA season
The 2010 WNBA season was the 14th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began with a televised meeting between the defending champion Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks in Phoenix, Arizona on May 15. The Connecticut Sun hosted the 10th Annual All-Star...
| 2010
2010 Washington Mystics season
The 2010 WNBA season is the 13th season for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association.-Dispersal draft:Based on the Mystics' 2009 record, they would pick 6th in the Sacramento Monarchs dispersal draft...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 1st
| 22
| 12
| .647
| Lost Conference Semifinals (Atlanta
Atlanta Dream
The Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta...
, 0–2)
| Julie Plank
Julie Plank
Julie Plank is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-Career:Julie Plank was named the head coach of the Washington Mystics on November 6, 2008...
|-
|colspan="9" align=center bgcolor="#DC143C" | Washington Mystics
|-align="center"
!style="background:#eee;"| 2011
2011 WNBA season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 15th season of the Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season began on June 3 with the Los Angeles Sparks hosting the Minnesota Lynx, featuring 2011 WNBA Draft top pick Maya Moore, in a game televised on NBA TV...
| 2011
2011 Washington Mystics season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 14th season for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association.-WNBA Draft:The following are the Mystics' selections in the 2011 WNBA Draft.-Transaction log:...
| style="width: 10%"|East
Eastern Conference (WNBA)
The Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association is made up of six teams.The Eastern Conference playoffs is divided into two playoff rounds, The Conference Semi-Finals and The Conference Finals with the winner of the Conference Championship facing the Western Conference...
| 6th
| 6
| 28
| .176
| Did not qualify
| Trudi Lacey
Trudi Lacey
Trudi Lacey is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-References:*...
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Regular season
|style="background:#eee;"| 186
|style="background:#eee;"| 278
|style="background:#eee;"| .401
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 0 Conference Championships
|-
!colspan="4" style="background:#eee;"|Playoffs
|style="background:#eee;"| 4
|style="background:#eee;"| 12
|style="background:#eee;"| .250
|colspan="2" style="background:#eee;"| 0 WNBA Championships
|}
Former players
- Nikki BlueNikki BlueAnitra Necole Blue better known as Nikki Blue is a professional basketball player with the New York Liberty of the WNBA and an assistant coach at UNLV.-High school:...
(2006–2009) - Kiesha BrownKiesha BrownKiesha Brown is an American professional basketball player.-High school:White attended Woodward Academy in Atlanta, where she was named a High School All-American by the WBCA...
(2002–2005) - Vicky BullettVicky BullettVictoria Bullett is an American former professional basketball player. She played for the Charlotte Sting and Washington Mystics in the WNBA, as well as for European and South American professional teams, the U.S. Olympic team, and the University of Maryland Terrapins...
(2000–2002) - Stacey Dales-Schuman (2002–2004)
- Lindsey HardingLindsey HardingLindsey Marcie Harding is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the Atlanta Dream. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up in Houston, Texas.-College career:...
(2009–2010), now a member of the Atlanta DreamAtlanta DreamThe Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta... - Chamique HoldsclawChamique HoldsclawChamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(1999–2004) - Asjha JonesAsjha JonesAsjha Takera Jones is a professional basketball player. She plays the power forward position for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA.-Early years:...
(2002–2003), now a member of the Connecticut SunConnecticut SunThe Connecticut Sun is a professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded in Orlando, Florida before the 1999 season began; the team moved to Connecticut before the 2003 season... - Nikki McCrayNikki McCrayNikki McCray is a former American professional basketball player. She played in the Women's National Basketball Association for eight seasons....
(1998–2001) - Taj McWilliams-Franklin (2008), now a member of the Minnesota LynxMinnesota LynxThe Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...
- Chasity MelvinChasity MelvinChasity Melvin is an American professional basketball player originally from Roseboro, North Carolina.A 6'3" forward, Melvin has played in the WNBA since 1999, competing for the Cleveland Rockers, the Washington Mystics, and the Chicago Sky. Through twelve seasons in the league, she holds career...
(2004–2007, 2009–2010) - Coco MillerCoco Miller-External links:**...
(2001–2008), now a member of the Atlanta DreamAtlanta DreamThe Atlanta Dream is a professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2008 WNBA season began. The team is owned by Dream Too LLC, which is composed of two Atlanta... - DeLisha Milton-JonesDeLisha Milton-JonesDeLisha Milton-Jones is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association . Milton-Jones played college basketball for the University of Florida. In her twelve-season WNBA career, she has played for the Washington Mystics and Los...
(2005–2007), now a member of the Los Angeles SparksLos Angeles SparksThe Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began... - Murriel PageMurriel PageLaMurriel "Murriel" Page is a former American college and professional basketball player who was a forward and center in the Women's National Basketball Association for eleven seasons. Page played college basketball for the University of Florida, and was drafted in the first round of the 1998...
(1998–2005) - Nakia SanfordNakia SanfordNakia Sanford is a professional basketball player. She currently plays the center position for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA.-College career:...
(2003–2010), now a member of the Phoenix MercuryPhoenix MercuryThe Phoenix Mercury is a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began; it is one of the eight original franchises... - Katie SmithKatie SmithKatherine May "Katie" Smith is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA. Her primary position is shooting guard, although she sometimes plays small forward or point guard. She is the all time leading scorer in women's professional basketball, having notched over 7000 points in both...
(2010), now a member of the Seattle StormSeattle StormThe Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began... - Nikki TeasleyNikki TeasleyNikki Teasley is a basketball player in the WNBA.She played college basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill....
(2006–2007)
Owners
- Abe PollinAbe PollinAbe Pollin was the owner of a number of professional sports teams including the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League , the Washington Mystics in the Women's National Basketball Association , and the Washington Wizards in the National Basketball Association...
, owner of the Washington WizardsWashington WizardsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
(1998–2005) - Monumental Sports & Entertainment/Ted LeonsisTed LeonsisTheodore John Leonsis is an Internet pioneer, sports team owner, venture capital investor, filmmaker, author and philanthropist. His early new media company, Redgate Communications was acquired by America Online in 1994, and Leonsis became a senior AOL executive for the next 13 years...
, owner of the Washington WizardsWashington WizardsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
(2005–present)
Head coaches
{| class="toccolours" width=90% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#DC143C; color:#FFFFFF" | Washington Mystics head coaches
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="15%" rowspan="2" | Name
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | Start
! width="10%" rowspan="2" | End
! width="5%" rowspan="2" | Seasons
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Regular season
! width="20%" colspan="4" | Playoffs
|-
! W !! L !! PCT !! G !! W !! L !! PCT !! G
|-
| Jim Lewis || December 29, 1997 || July 24, 1998 || 1 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|16 || width="5%"|.111 || width="5%"|18 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Cathy Parson
Cathy Parson
Cathy Parson is the head women's basketball coach at Howard. She is currently in her eighth season as the head coach at Howard, and has compild a 99-100 record in her first seven seasons. She led the Lady Bison to two regular season MEAC titles. The 2001 team won the MEAC tournament title...
|| July 24, 1998 || end of 1998
1998 WNBA season
-External links:**...
|| 1 || width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|11 || width="5%"|.083 || width="5%"|12 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch
Nancy Darsch is an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association. She started her professional coaching career in the WNBA's inaugural season with the New York Liberty. As the head coach, Darsch led the Liberty to a 17–11 season and the team advanced to the...
|| February 18, 1999 || July 14, 2000 || 2 || width="5%"|21 || width="5%"|32 || width="5%"|.396 || width="5%"|53 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Darrell Walker
Darrell Walker
Darrell Walker is a retired American professional basketball player and coach. At 6'4" and 180 lb , he played as a guard...
|| July 14, 2000 || end of 2000
2000 WNBA season
-External links:**...
|| 1 || width="5%"|5 || width="5%"|7 || width="5%"|.417 || width="5%"|12 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|2
|-
| Tom Maher
Tom Maher
Tom Maher is a basketball coach from Australia, who is the most successful coach in the WNBL history, having won seven WNBL titles...
|| December 21, 2000 || January 4, 2002 || 1 || width="5%"|10 || width="5%"|22 || width="5%"|.313 || width="5%"|32 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Marianne Stanley || April 5, 2002 || January 21, 2004 || 2 || width="5%"|26 || width="5%"|40 || width="5%"|.394 || width="5%"|66 ||width="5%"|3 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|.600 || width="5%"|5
|-
| Michael Adams
Michael Adams (basketball)
Michael Adams is a former NBA player and basketball coach.After starring at Boston College, the 5'10" point guard was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the 3rd round with the 66th pick of the 1985 NBA Draft...
|| February 17, 2004 || April 15, 2005 || 1 || width="5%"|17 || width="5%"|17 || width="5%"|.500 || width="5%"|34 ||width="5%"|1 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|.333 || width="5%"|3
|-
| Richie Adubato
Richie Adubato
Richard Adam "Richie" Adubato was a basketball coach in the National Basketball Association. He has served as head coach for three NBA teams: the Detroit Pistons, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Orlando Magic...
|| April 21, 2005 || June 1, 2007 || 3 || width="5%"|34 || width="5%"|38 || width="5%"|.472 || width="5%"|72 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|2|| width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|2
|-
| Tree Rollins
Tree Rollins
Wayne Monte "Tree" Rollins is a retired American professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. He was primarily known under his playing name, Tree...
|| June 1, 2007 || July 19, 2008 || 2 || width="5%"|24 || width="5%"|28 || width="5%"|.462 || width="5%"|52 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Jessie Kenlaw || July 19, 2008 || end of 2008
2008 WNBA season
-Season Highlights:*Candace Parker becomes the second and third player in WNBA history to dunk in a regular season game.*A fight breaks out between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Detroit Shock resulting in four ejections and ten suspensions....
|| 1 || width="5%"|2 || width="5%"|10 || width="5%"|.167 || width="5%"|12 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|-
| Julie Plank
Julie Plank
Julie Plank is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-Career:Julie Plank was named the head coach of the Washington Mystics on November 6, 2008...
|| November 6, 2008 || November 1, 2010 || 2 || width="5%"|38 || width="5%"|30 || width="5%"|.559 || width="5%"|68 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|4 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|4
|-
| Trudi Lacey
Trudi Lacey
Trudi Lacey is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-References:*...
|| November 1, 2010 || Current || 1 || width="5%"|6 || width="5%"|28 || width="5%"|.176 || width="5%"|34 ||width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|0 || width="5%"|.000 || width="5%"|0
|}
General managers
- Melissa McFerrin (1998–2001)
- Judy Holland-Burton (2002–2004)
- Linda Hargrove (2005–2008)
- Angela Taylor (2009–2010)
- Trudi LaceyTrudi LaceyTrudi Lacey is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-References:*...
(2011–present)
Assistant coaches
- Cathy ParsonCathy ParsonCathy Parson is the head women's basketball coach at Howard. She is currently in her eighth season as the head coach at Howard, and has compild a 99-100 record in her first seven seasons. She led the Lady Bison to two regular season MEAC titles. The 2001 team won the MEAC tournament title...
(1998) - Wes Unseld, Jr. (1998)
- Melissa McFerrin (1999–2001)
- Jenny BoucekJenny BoucekJenny Boucek is a former basketball player and coach. From 1999 to 2005, she served as an assistant coach for various teams in the WNBA. She was named as the Head Coach for the Sacramento Monarchs on November 15, 2006...
(1999) - Tyrone Beaman (2000)
- Marianne Stanley (2001, 2010–present)
- Linda Hill-MacDonald (2002–2003)
- Ledell Eackels (2002–2003)
- Linda Hargrove (2004)
- Stephanie Ready (2004)
- Marynell MeadorsMarynell MeadorsMarynell Meadors is a women's basketball coach at the college and professional level. She is currently the head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association and was one of the original eight head coaches when the WNBA started in...
(2005–2006) - Jeff House (2005–2006)
- Crystal RobinsonCrystal RobinsonCrystal Robinson , is a former Women's National Basketball Association player who played for the Washington Mystics and New York Liberty. She grew up in Atoka, Oklahoma.-High school:...
(2007–2008) - Jessie Kenlaw (2007–2008)
- Lubomyr Lichonczak (2009)
- Vanessa NygaardVanessa NygaardVanessa Nygaard is a former professional basketball player and a collegiate assistant coach. She is currently serving as an assistant coach with the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .- Stanford University :After graduating from high school in Carlsbad, California,...
(2009) - Vicky BullettVicky BullettVictoria Bullett is an American former professional basketball player. She played for the Charlotte Sting and Washington Mystics in the WNBA, as well as for European and South American professional teams, the U.S. Olympic team, and the University of Maryland Terrapins...
(2009) - Trudi LaceyTrudi LaceyTrudi Lacey is an American basketball head coach, most recently of the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association .-References:*...
(2010) - Laurie Byrd (2011–present)
Statistics
{| class="toccolours" width=80% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#DC143C; color:#FFFFFF" | Washington Mystics statistics
|- valign="top"
|
1990s
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
Field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
|-
| 1998
1998 Washington Mystics season
The 1998 WNBA season was the first for the Washington Mystics.-WNBA Draft:*First Round, Murriel Page, 3rd Pick Overall*Second Round, Rita Williams, 13th Pick Overall*Third Round, Angela Hamblin, 23rd Pick Overall*Fourth Round, Angela Jackson, 33rd Pick Overall...
| N. McCray
Nikki McCray
Nikki McCray is a former American professional basketball player. She played in the Women's National Basketball Association for eight seasons....
(17.7)
| A. Santos de Oliveira (8.1)
| N. McCray
Nikki McCray
Nikki McCray is a former American professional basketball player. She played in the Women's National Basketball Association for eight seasons....
(3.1)
| 65.1 vs 80.5
| 30.8 vs 34.5
| .395 vs .468
|-
| 1999
1999 Washington Mystics season
The 1999 WNBA season was the second for the Washington Mystics. In the 1999 WNBA Draft, Chamique Holdsclaw was selected by the Washington Mystics 1st overall. In her first season, she was named the Rookie of the Year and was a starter in the inaugural WNBA All-Star Game...
| N. McCray
Nikki McCray
Nikki McCray is a former American professional basketball player. She played in the Women's National Basketball Association for eight seasons....
(17.5)
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(7.9)
| A. Nagy
Andrea Nagy
Andrea Nagy is a retired professional basketball player. After a stand-out career playing at Florida International University, Nagy was drafted into the ABL before finishing her career in the WNBA playing as a point guard....
(4.6)
| 65.6 vs 70.2
| 31.7 vs 31.1
| .423 vs .415
|}
|
2000s
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
Field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
|-
| 2000
2000 Washington Mystics season
The 2000 WNBA season was the 3rd season for the Washington Mystics. The team clinched their first WNBA Playoff berth, eventually losing in a sweep to the New York Liberty.-Offseason:...
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(17.5)
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(7.5)
| A. Nagy
Andrea Nagy
Andrea Nagy is a retired professional basketball player. After a stand-out career playing at Florida International University, Nagy was drafted into the ABL before finishing her career in the WNBA playing as a point guard....
(5.1)
| 68.0 vs 69.4
| 29.6 vs 28.5
| .459 vs .451
|-
| 2001
2001 Washington Mystics season
The 2001 WNBA season was the 4th season for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-References:...
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(16.8)
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(8.8)
| A. Burgess (2.8)
| 60.3 vs 64.8
| 33.0 vs 33.4
| .386 vs .407
|-
| 2002
2002 Washington Mystics season
The 2002 WNBA season was the fifth for the Washington Mystics.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:Note: GP= Games played; MIN= Minutes; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average-Playoffs:...
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(19.9)
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(11.6)
| A. Burgess (3.6)
| 66.7 vs 66.1
| 32.4 vs 30.9
| .422 vs .413
|-
| 2003
2003 Washington Mystics season
The 2003 WNBA season was the 6th for the Washington Mystics.-Dispersal Draft:-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-References:...
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(20.5)
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(10.9)
| S. Dales
Stacey Dales
Stacey Dales, is a former Canadian basketball player and a current host on the NFL Network.-Basketball:...
(3.4)
| 68.5 vs 73.5
| 31.9 vs 32.8
| .409 vs .447
|-
| 2004
2004 Washington Mystics season
The 2004 WNBA season was the 7th for the Washington Mystics. The franchise drafted Alana Beard as the 2nd pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft, who later led the team to the playoffs for the first time in two years.-Dispersal Draft:...
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(19.0)
| C. Holdsclaw
Chamique Holdsclaw
Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars...
(8.3)
| A. Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
(2.7)
| 68.4 vs 70.1
| 31.3 vs 32.5
| .418 vs .429
|-
| 2005
2005 Washington Mystics season
The 2005 WNBA season was the 8th for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics gave it their all, but they fell short for the playoffs, losing a tiebreaker to the Detroit Shock.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Player stats:-External links:*...
| A. Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
(14.1)
| C. Melvin
Chasity Melvin
Chasity Melvin is an American professional basketball player originally from Roseboro, North Carolina.A 6'3" forward, Melvin has played in the WNBA since 1999, competing for the Cleveland Rockers, the Washington Mystics, and the Chicago Sky. Through twelve seasons in the league, she holds career...
(5.9)
| T. Johnson
Temeka Johnson
Temeka Rochelle Johnson is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA. Her primary position is point guard.-College years:...
(5.2)
| 66.6 vs 67.8
| 27.7 vs 30.1
| .430 vs .445
|-
| 2006
2006 Washington Mystics season
The 2006 WNBA season was the 9th for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics successfully reached the playoffs, but they were later swept in the opening round to the Connecticut Sun.-WNBA Draft:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Player stats:-External links:*...
| A. Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
(19.2)
| C. Melvin
Chasity Melvin
Chasity Melvin is an American professional basketball player originally from Roseboro, North Carolina.A 6'3" forward, Melvin has played in the WNBA since 1999, competing for the Cleveland Rockers, the Washington Mystics, and the Chicago Sky. Through twelve seasons in the league, she holds career...
(6.6)
| N. Teasley
Nikki Teasley
Nikki Teasley is a basketball player in the WNBA.She played college basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill....
(5.4)
| 80.8 vs 78.1
| 32.4 vs 30.6
| .462 vs .432
|-
| 2007
2007 Washington Mystics season
The 2007 WNBA season was the 10th for the Washington Mystics. The Mystics fell short for the playoffs, losing in a tiebreaker to the New York Liberty.-Dispersal Draft:...
| A. Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
(18.8)
| N. Sanford
Nakia Sanford
Nakia Sanford is a professional basketball player. She currently plays the center position for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA.-College career:...
(7.1)
| N. Teasley
Nikki Teasley
Nikki Teasley is a basketball player in the WNBA.She played college basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill....
(3.3)
| 76.0 vs 77.6
| 32.9 vs 35.5
| .404 vs .417
|-
| 2008
2008 Washington Mystics season
The 2008 WNBA season was the 11th season for the Washington Mystics. Despite a 10-16 record before the WNBA break for the Beijing Olympics, Mystics officials said that attendance at Verizon Center had risen from nearly 1,200 fans a game over last season, with total ticket revenue up 17 percent and...
| A. Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
(16.1)
| N. Sanford
Nakia Sanford
Nakia Sanford is a professional basketball player. She currently plays the center position for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA.-College career:...
(5.7)
| A. Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
(3.5)
| 69.6 vs 76.5
| 33.3 vs 32.1
| .415 vs .443
|-
| 2009
2009 Washington Mystics season
The 2009 WNBA season is the 12th season for the Washington Mystics franchise of the Women's National Basketball Association. The Mystics successfully reached the playoffs for the first time in three years. They eventually lost to the Indiana Fever in the first round in a sweep.-Dispersal...
| A. Beard
Alana Beard
-External links:****...
(15.9)
| C. Langhorne
Crystal Langhorne
- External links :* at University of Maryland website.* at...
(7.9)
| L. Harding
Lindsey Harding
Lindsey Marcie Harding is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the Atlanta Dream. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up in Houston, Texas.-College career:...
(4.5)
| 76.0 vs 77.1
| 35.0 vs 32.7
| .423 vs .433
|}
|
2010s
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|-
! width="4%" rowspan="2"| Season
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Individual
! width="16%" colspan="3"| Team vs Opponents
|-
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|APG
! width="8%"|PPG
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
! width="8%"|RPG
! width="8%"|FG%
Field goal percentage
Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
|-
| 2010
2010 Washington Mystics season
The 2010 WNBA season is the 13th season for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association.-Dispersal draft:Based on the Mystics' 2009 record, they would pick 6th in the Sacramento Monarchs dispersal draft...
| C. Langhorne
Crystal Langhorne
- External links :* at University of Maryland website.* at...
(16.3)
| C. Langhorne
Crystal Langhorne
- External links :* at University of Maryland website.* at...
(9.7)
| L. Harding
Lindsey Harding
Lindsey Marcie Harding is an American professional basketball player in the WNBA, currently playing for the Atlanta Dream. She was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up in Houston, Texas.-College career:...
(4.0)
| 76.9 vs 73.3
| 34.2 vs 28.3
| .451 vs .426
|-
| 2011
2011 Washington Mystics season
The 2011 WNBA season is the 14th season for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association.-WNBA Draft:The following are the Mystics' selections in the 2011 WNBA Draft.-Transaction log:...
| C. Langhorne
Crystal Langhorne
- External links :* at University of Maryland website.* at...
(18.2)
| C. Langhorne
Crystal Langhorne
- External links :* at University of Maryland website.* at...
(7.6)
| M. Ajavon
Matee Ajavon
Matee Ajavon is a Liberian American player in the WNBA for the Washington Mystics. A 5'8" guard, Ajavon was chosen by the Houston Comets as the fifth overall draft pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft.-Early life:...
(3.1)
| 70.8 vs 78.8
| 33.1 vs 31.8
| .406 vs .465
|}
|}
Media coverage
Currently, some Mystics games are broadcast on Comcast SportsNet Mid-AtlanticComcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic
Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic is a regional sports network that delivers live-game coverage and sports news and entertainment television programming to more than 4.7 million households throughout the Washington, D.C...
(CSN-MA), which is a local television station for the area of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and Baltimore, Maryland. More often than not, NBA TV
NBA TV
NBA TV is a television specialty channel that is dedicated to showcasing the sport of basketball in the United States. The network is financially backed by the National Basketball Association , which also uses NBA TV as a way of advertising their out of market package NBA League Pass, and partner...
will pick up the feed from the local broadcast, which is shown nationally. Broadcasters for the Mystics games are Frank Hanrahan and Christy Winters Scott.
All games (excluding blackout games, which are available on ESPN3.com) are broadcast to the WNBA LiveAccess game feeds on the league website. Furthermore, some Mystics games are broadcast nationally on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, ESPN2 and ABC
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
. The WNBA has reached an eight year agreement with ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, which will pay right fees to the Mystics, as well as other teams in the league.
Regular season attendance
- A sellout for a basketball game at Verizon CenterVerizon CenterVerizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications, and has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies...
is 20,674.
{| class="toccolours" width=70% style="clear:both; margin:1.5em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan=2 style="background:#DC143C; color:#FFFFFF" | Regular season all-time attendance
|- valign="top"
|
{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" class="wikitable"
|- align="center" style="background:#eee;color:#000000;"
|width=75 |Year
|width=150|Average
|width=100|High
|width=100|Low
|width=75 |Sellouts
|width=150|Total for year
|width=150|WNBA game average
|- align="center"
| 1998 || 15,910 (1st) || 20,674 || 10,364 || 1 || 238,647 || 10,869
|- align="center"
| 1999 || 15,306 (1st) || 20,674 || 11,008 || 1 || 244,889 || 10,207
|- align="center"
| 2000 || 15,258 (1st) || 19,093 || 11,070 || 1 || 244,134 || 9,074
|- align="center"
| 2001 || 15,417 (2nd) || 19,093 || 11,302 || 1 || 246,667 || 9,075
|- align="center"
| 2002 || 16,202 (1st) || 19,766 || 14,004 || 0 || 259,237 || 9,228
|- align="center"
| 2003 || 14,042 (1st) || 19,683 || 11,052 || 0 || 238,710 || 8,800
|- align="center"
| 2004 || 12,615 (1st) || 18,436 || 8,784 || 0 || 214,448 || 8,613
|- align="center"
| 2005 || 10,089 (2nd) || 16,654 || 6,010 || 0 || 171,512 || 8,172
|- align="center"
| 2006 || 7,662 (7th) || 15,103 || 5,892 || 0 || 130,255 || 7,476
|- align="center"
| 2007 || 7,788 (8th) || 13,997 || 6,147 || 0 || 132,396 || 7,742
|- align="center"
| 2008 || 9,096 (3rd) || 11,517 || 6,146 || 0 || 154,637 || 7,948
|- align="center"
| 2009 || 11,338 (1st) || 17,220 || 9,738 || 0 || 192,747 || 8,039
|- align="center"
| 2010 || 9,357 (3rd) || 14,347 || 7,547 || 0 || 159,065 || 7,834
|- align="center"
| 2011 || 10,531 (1st) || 13,954 || 7,028 || 0 || in progress || 7,892
|}
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 MiamiMiami SolThe Miami Sol was a women's basketball team which joined the Women's National Basketball Association in 2000. They played their games at American Airlines Arena. The team folded after the 2002 season because of financial problems...
/PortlandPortland FireThe Portland Fire joined the Women's National Basketball Association in 2000 as the counterpart to the NBA team the Portland Trail Blazers. They played their games at Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. The team folded after the 2002 season, after just three seasons in the league...
Dispersal Draft: Jenny Mowe (8) - 2003: Aiysha Smith (7), Zuzana Zirkova (21), Trish Juline (32), Tamara Bowie (36)
- 2004 ClevelandCleveland RockersThis article is about the defunct WNBA team; for the American Basketball Association team, see Cleveland Rockers .The Cleveland Rockers were a Women's National Basketball Association team that played from 1997 until 2003. The Rockers were one of the original eight franchises of the WNBA, which...
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 CharlotteCharlotte StingThe Charlotte Sting was a Women's National Basketball Association franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it was one of the league's eight original teams. The team folded on January 3, 2007....
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 HoustonHouston CometsThe Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas, United States. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the best original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. The Comets were the first dynasty of the WNBA and...
Dispersal Draft: Matee Ajavon (2) - 2009: Marissa Coleman (2), Camille Lenoir (23), Jelena Milavanovic (24), Josephine Owino (28)
- 2010 SacramentoSacramento MonarchsThe Sacramento Monarchs were a basketball team based in Sacramento, California. They played in the Women's National Basketball Association from 1997 until folding on November 20, 2009...
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)
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
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
External links
