WNBA: Are the Washington Mystics going to rebuild?

Are the Washington Mystics headed towards a rebuild or are they a piece away from being a dark horse contender? After missing the playoffs last year and finishing near the bottom of the league standings, Washington now has to make some crucial decisions.

Here’s a look at where the Mystics stand entering free agency, as well as the two big questions the team must consider as they navigate the free agency period:

Facts and figures*

Players under contract (contract status; 2025 salary)

• Ariel Atkins (protected veteran; $200,000)
• Brittney Sykes (protected veteran; $195,000)
• Stefanie Dolson (protected veteran; $170,000)
• Karlie Samuelson (protected veteran; $118,450)
• Shakira Austin (protected rookie; $91,981)
• Aaliyah Edwards (unprotected; $74,909)
• Sika Koné (unprotected; $66,710)
• Jade Melbourne (unprotected; $66,710)

Free agents (type; 2024 salary)

• Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (unrestricted; $95,425)
• Sug Sutton (contract expired; $64,154)
• Emily Engstler (contract expired; $64,154)
• Elena Delle Donne (unrestricted)

Total salary of free agents: $224,733

Total team salary: $983,760

Cap space: $523,340

Unsigned draftees (2025 salary)

• Nastja Claessens ($65,438)
• Txell Alarcon ($65,438)

2025 WNBA Draft picks (2024 salary)

• Round 1, No. 4 ($78,831)
• Round 1, No. 6 ($75,643)
• Round 2, No. 11 ($69,267)
• Round 3, No. 7 ($66,079)

1. Will Winger take Washington into a full rebuild?

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The Washington Mystics are going through a lot of change. After a difficult end to last season, the team fired Mike and Eric Thibaut, their general manager and head coach, bringing in Jamila Wideman and Sydney Johnson to fill those respective roles.

What makes this an interesting, and potentially telling, indication the team’s direction this offseason is that Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger was behind the new hirings, the first step forward in implementing his vision for the Mystics’ future. Winger also manages the Washington Wizards and upon being hired there, wasted no time committing to a full rebuild, trading away franchise star Bradley Beal a month after being hired. This begs the question: Will the Mystics follow a similar path?

The assumption is that Washington will completely rebuild, which will be made a bit harder with Elena Delle Donne potentially opting out for another year, making the team’s most valuable player untradeable for the second-straight year. This means that Ariel Atkins and Brittney Sykes might be next to go.

Sykes had a promising 2023 season, but last year was defined by constant, nagging injuries. Atkins had a bounce-back season in 2024, playing in all 40 games and averaging 15 points per game, her best mark since 2021. Sykes and Atkins, when healthy, are a good enough backcourt to lead Washington to the playoffs. However, what is the ceiling of that team, and is that ceiling high enough for Winger, Wideman and Johnson?

2. How will the draft influence DC’s decisions?

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Ultimately, the biggest question will be what the Mystics do with their two first-round picks this year. There’s a lot of promising talent in this year’s draft. One of Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles or Sonia Citron, USC’s Kiki Iriafen or French teenage prospect Dominique Malonga could be available for the Mystics at the No. 4 overall pick. However, two of those players are frontcourt players, and the Mystics have drafted a frontcourt player in the last three drafts.

Aaliyah Edwards and Shakira Austin both have some upside that the Mystics may want to explore; however, Austin has dealt with injuries every year of her career and Edwards was drafted by the previous front office, which means her future with the franchise could potentially be in question. What’s important to emphasize is that the new front office is not obligated to keep any players the Thibaults drafted, and that includes Austin and Edwards.

Mystics fans should be prepared for all possibilities this offseason, and that includes multiple trades or running it back with an improved supporting cast built around the promising upside of their young players.