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Defector

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Head coach Natalie Nakase of the Golden State Valkyries reacts to a play against the Washington Mystics during the second half of the game at CareFirst Arena on July 6, 2026 in Washington, DC.

WNBA

Eight Teams, Eight Qualms: A Guide To The 2026 WNBA Playoffs

Nina Mandell is a journalist living in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, who has written for Bustle, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, USA Today, The New York Daily News, and NBC Regional Sports Networks. She is the former managing editor of USA Today’s For The Win site and the former digital director/managing editor of NBC Sports Washington.

Nina Mandell

Chamique Holdsclaw #23 of the Washington Mystics gets ready to shoot the ball while Mery Andrade #23 of the Cleveland Rockers guards her

Chamique Holdsclaw Made Headlines, Made Mistakes, And Made History

Cotie McMahon #23 of the Washington Mystics celebrates with teammates after the game against the Dallas Wings at CareFirst Arena on August 5, 2026 in Washington, DC.

The Washington Mystics Don’t Act Their Age

Sonia Citron #22 and Kiki Iriafen #44 of the Washington Mystics interact during the first half of the game against the Golden State Valkyries at CareFirst Arena on July 31, 2025 in Washington, DC.

The Mystics’ Rookies Have Made The Team Better Than Intended

Ray Ratto

Aaliyah Edwards #24 of the Washington Mystics shoots a free throw during the game against the New York Liberty during a 2024 Commissioner's Cup game on June 9, 2024 in Brooklyn, New York. 2024 NBAE

The Mystics Are Losers Of Note

Lauren Theisen

Natasha Cloud Nearly Tore The Script To Shreds

Brittney Sykes #15 of the Washington Mystics plays against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center on September 10, 2023 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

Brittney Sykes And The Mystics Can Hang

Samer Kalaf

A closeup of the Qatar World Cup gold medal

Capital

Qatar’s Interest In The Washington Wizards Is The Next Step

Washington Mystics center Shakira Austin (0) and Washington Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne (11) looks on after a WNBA game between the Washington Mystics and the Chicago Sky on May 26, 2023, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL.

Shakira Austin Is Right Where Elena Delle Donne Needs Her To Be

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 12: Elena Delle Donne #11 of the Washington Mystics warms up ahead of a game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena on July 12, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.

Elena Delle Donne Made Up For Lost Time

Rhyne Howard Hit The Ground Running

A worker sweeps the court before the second half of the game between the Washington Mystics and the Chicago Sky at Entertainment &amp; Sports Arena on May 15, 2021 in Washington, DC.

Elena Delle Donne Is Back, But The Mystics Are Running Out Of Time

Chelsea Gray #12 of the Las Vegas Aces runs back on defense after scoring against the Los Angeles Sparks during their game at Michelob ULTRA Arena on May 21, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Aces defeated the Sparks 97-69.

These Aces Will Find A Way To Win

Shey Peddy #5 of the Phoenix Mercury is surrounded by teammates after hitting a 3-point buzzer beater to defeat the Washington Mystics at Feld Entertainment Center on September 15, 2020

Washington Mystics