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 established in 1997. It was named after Alana Beard, a former female basketball player. Their first WNBA championship was in 2010, and the Mystics are the defending champions. Below are some facts about the team.
Alana Beard
WNBA rookie Alana Beard was selected with the second overall pick in the 2004 WNBA draft. The Mystics finished last in the Eastern Conference's 2003 season with a record of 9-25. Beard was introduced to the organization in the hope that her contributions could make a difference for the team. Beard said she valued her teammates and her relationship with them. This was evident in Beard's performance in WNBA.
Changes in the team
The Washington Mystics underwent a number of controversial changes in the lead up to the 2011 season. The team was not as strong after finishing the greatest season in franchise history. The Mystics traded Skylar Smith and Courtney Harding, star forwards, to relieve Angela Taylor, head coach and general manger. Taylor was succeeded by Trudi lacey, who became the new head coach.
First ever WNBA Finals
Washington Mysoltics had a thrilling WNBA Finals. After going down 2-0 in Game 1 they made a remarkable comeback. Elena Delle Donne scored 22 of the Mystics' points in Game 5. The six-foot-five forward, who is 6'5" and five feet tall, won the MVP Award. This was the first time that a WNBA player has been awarded the MVP. In addition, the team's two other star players - Emma Meesseman and Andre Iguodala - each scored at least 20 points. They were thus voted the top team in finals.
Organisational changes
Before the 2011 season, the Mystics made some controversial changes to the 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 (owner of Mystics) did not comment on Taylor's departure. She said that Taylor was still having issues with human resources.
Modifications to uniforms
The Washington Mystics are currently undergoing a major overhaul of their uniforms. The team used to wear white jerseys with gold and black outlines. The Mystics switched to dark-blue jerseys in the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Although the jersey sponsor Inova remained with the team in 2013, the partnership was terminated in 2015. The jerseys will now display the team name and the city logo. In 2016, the Mystics made the jerseys more colorful, going all out on matchups.