Washington Mystics: An American professional basketball league based in Washington D.C., the Washington Mystics. They are a member the Women's National Basketball Association, and play in the Eastern Conference. The team was founded 1997, and its name is Alana Beard. The Mystics won their first WNBA Championship in 2010. Here are some things you should know about the team.
Alana Beard
Alana Beard, a rookie in the WNBA, was the second overall pick of the 2004 WNBA draft. The Mystics finished 2003's Eastern Conference season last with a record that was 9-25. Beard joined the team in the hopes of helping the team. Beard stated that she values her teammates and the relationships she has with them. She was able to show this in her performance at the WNBA.
Changes to team
The Washington Mystics underwent a number of controversial changes in the lead up to the 2011 season. Despite having the best season in franchise-history, the team isn't as strong as it was expected. The Mystics traded SkylarSmith and Courtney Harding for star forwards. Angela Taylor was relieved of her duties as head coach and general manager. Taylor was relieved by Trudi Lattey, the new head coach.
First-ever WNBA Finals
Washington Mysoltics' first WNBA Finals was thrilling. The team came back from being down 2-0 after Game 1. The Mystics were led by Elena Delle Donne's 22 points in Game 5. The six-foot five forward was also awarded the MVP award. He became the first WNBA player in history to receive the MVP award. The team also had two star players, Emma Meesseman (and Andre Iguodala) who each scored at least 20. They were therefore voted the best team at the finals.
Changes to the organization
Before the 2011 season began, the Mystics made a series of controversial changes to their organization. Angela Taylor, assistant coaching coach, was fired for not being able to reach an agreement on a new deal with the owners of the team. Julie Plank, the head coach, refused to accept GM or coaching duties. Trudi Lacey was chosen GM. Sheila Johnson of the Mystics did not comment on Taylor’s departure, citing ongoing issues in human resources.
Uniform changes
The Washington Mystics are currently in the midst of a major change in their uniforms. The uniforms of the Washington Mystics were previously white with black and gold outlines. For the 2010 and 2011 seasons, the Mystics switched to dark blue jerseys. In 2013, Inova was the jersey sponsor of the team, but it ended its partnership in 2015. The jerseys now include the team name, city and logo. The Mystics went all in on the matchups in 2016, making the jerseys even more colorful.