Elena Delle Donne weighs in with back-up for Phee’s statement 💀

I present a thread of my favorite Shakira Austin gifs from the 2025 Mystics season

Mystics' Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen named to WNBA All-Rookie Team. Joining them are Paige Bueckers, Domique Malonga and Janelle Salaun.

Nai is frying me with that Gatorade hand towel 🤣🤣🤣🤣 #WNBA

In an unexpected move, Sug Sutton becomes one of the 48 players joining Unrivaled this season. Huge opportunity for the Mystics starting PG from this past season.

Shakira Austin enters the WNBA offseason as a restricted free agent. GM Jamila Wideman has already labeled her "part of that young core" they're building around. And if signed, it begins to narrow the direction of the franchise.

Shakira Austin returns to Unrivaled for Year 2

Vince is going to be in the Final Two, no matter who wins the final HOH. We explain why on last night's episode of the Pausecast. #BB27 Make sure to subscribe, leave a review and comment, if you like what you hear.

Big Brother spoilers ahead... Morgan is undeniable. It's over at this point. She's running this season and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Separating her game legacy from actions inside the house will be the biggest challenge. Like, subscribe, all that jazz to the Pausecast.

Official: Kiki Iriafen is Unrivaled, joining fellow Rookie Sonia Citron

Official: Sonia Citron joins Unrivaled Year 2

Bruce Pearl retires after lifting the Auburn Tigers to the 79th-most successful program in DI. Before Pearl, Auburn had never made a Final Four, and just made 4 Sweet 16s, 8 NCAATs and 4 SEC titles.

As Unrivaled player announcements are to come today, here's where each of the 2025 Mystics plan on playing this offseason.

Alright folks - time to share a project I've been working on for nearly a year. I decided to rank all D1 men's basketball programs, from 1 to 364, based on NCAA titles, tournament success, conference champs, etc. Be nice, this is for fun and I hope you enjoy. Feedback is welcome:

Following Year 1 of Jamila Wideman's and Sydney Johnson's leadership, @jennhatfield.bsky.social and I recap the season and take stock of where the franchise stands in its rebuild.

It is an absolute joy watching Aerial Powers thrive in this situation with the Fever.

Elena Delle Donne says her Monumental Basketball role allows her to grow in many areas. She gets to see if she wants to move into a front office role, player development, coaching or become a general manager.

Elena Delle Donne on what led her to take this USA Basketball role: "I know I obviously would need to stay busy just with my personality for my playing career. I wanted to still be involved in the game, but still have flexibility as well, knowing that I give so much time to the game."

Elena Delle Donne says USA Basketball reached out to her almost immediately after her retirement announcement to gauge her interest in 3x3. Over the past few months, she went to 3x3 Nationals, spoke to Jimmer Fredette before agreeing to take the role as managing director.

Paige Bueckers wins WNBA Rookie of the Year, receiving 70 votes. Sonia Citron received 2 votes as the only other vote recipient.

Jamila Wideman would not commit to setting playoffs as a goal for the Mystics next season: "Whether [2026] includes the playoffs or not, I think the important thing for us is to remember is that we are building for something even bigger than that..." [1/2]

Jamila Wideman's response when asked "what's next for the Mystics rebuild?" "This may be a boring answer, but I think it's more of the same. I mean, I think when we look at what we did this year, that gave some of our rookies some space to grow and look at what they were able to accomplish."

Mystics GM Jamila Wideman said the only thing the organization is focusing on when looking ahead to 2026, right now, is what they can control. They're not looking really past that with the uncertainty with CBA, Expansion Draft, etc.

Mystics GM Jamila Wideman on where the team found success this year: "We grew in numbers and grew in expertise, both in terms of our coaching staff, our care and performance staff, that those are groups that are incredibly integrated and communicative with one another."

2x WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne has named USA Basketball's 3x3 Women’s National Team Managing Director. In this role, Delle Donne will be in charge of identifying coaches and players for camps and international events through 2028.

Good things happening to great people. Congrats @lindsaygibbs.bsky.social!

Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen have been named to the AP's All-Rookie Team. Shakira Austin named the AP's Comeback Player of the Year. Photos via WashMystics (X)

The official bracket for the 2025 WNBA Playoffs presented by Google is set 🚨 Round 1 begins Sunday, September 14!

As the Washington Mystics wrapped up their 2025 season, all the focus was on what's next after putting together a strong foundation in the first year under a new coach, front office

Alysha Clark on what she wants in her future: "I want to be a part of an organization that is investing in us as athletes, in our ability to compete, making sure we're surrounded by the resources that we need to be the best athletes, night in and night out. And I want to compete to win."

Jade Melbourne on the 2025 season: "The most impressive thing is, we knew the goal going into this season wasn't to win a championship. It was to lay the foundation for what the Mystics want to be moving forward. And I think, obviously, I'm biased, but I think we did a pretty good job of that."

Areas that Sydney Johnson hopes the roster can address this offseason: -Shot selection trending toward more threes -Players who can get downhill -Taking care of the basketball -Disruptive defensive players

Sydney Johnson on how he evaluates the season: "In terms of what we talked about, what we're standing on, and really prioritizing our culture and our development... I really like where we are. We talked about trying to go through a 44-game season and be true to what we said we were going to be."

Sonia Citron also made it very clear that she is rooting for the Cowboys - going as far to call them "we" (her boyfriend is linebacker Marist Liufau) - and not her hometown Giants this weekend.

Sonia Citron had a whole list of things she wanted to improve on this offseason: -Stronger -Faster -Be in better shape -Ball handling -Being comfortable with handling the ball under physicality -Quicker release "I don't think there's any part of my game that I'm satisfied with."

Jacy Sheldon says she'll be regularly going back from Ohio to DC this offseason for workouts with some of her teammates. She'll also be playing in Athletes Unlimited down in Nashville.

Jacy Sheldon - who missed the final 12 games of the season - says her right ankle sprain is progressing well and hopes to be able to play in a few weeks. "It's just listening to your body, which I've learned to be good at the past couple years, definitely grown in that area."

Stef Dolson doesn't know if her future will keep her in D.C., but she did compare the Mystics to the OKC Thunder in the NBA. "They're so young, but they grow together. And if I can be a part of that and still, by the end of it, win a championship, I'd be happy."

Stef Dolson said this year was the beginning of a transition period in her career. "This season wasn't what I was expecting, but I think it's what I needed in terms of learning how to transition into the next part of my career, which could be more of being a vet, being the leader."

Lucy Olsen: "When I had the dream of being a WNBA player, I had the dream, but who knew if it was possible? So I feel like once I got here, it was like, wow, I actually did that, anything's possible. So I think taking it one day at a time and knowing I've made it this far, so the sky's the limit."

Lucy Olsen will be playing in Australia (WNBL) for Townsville Fire this offseason. She's excited about being able to play PG with Townsville and see what Georgia and Jade have hyped up: "They say everything is awesome about Australia. I'm sure it's not all true. There's got to be something."

Shakira Austin (RFA) said there were discussions this season with the Mystics to show she was valued as a part of the team's future. She adds that she loves D.C. and if the decision is made sooner, she'll be recruiting other players to come as much as she can this offseason.

Kiki Iriafen: "We're kind of going through these growing pains now, so that in the next two, three years, we can be holding up that trophy."

Sug Sutton on this year: "Throughout this whole season, it was like me fighting that battle, like, am I capable of doing this? And I got that clarity of that last game [vs. New York], of I can do it. I did it. And I think fighting that mental battle that was something I grew into."

Sug Sutton on what allowed her to take the next step forward in her game: "The position that I was put in this season kind of allowed me to grow within my confidence and showcase those things. And having more opportunity... to grow and think about certain things when you're putting the fire."

Kiki Iriafen on her approach: "My senior [at USC] year was tough, and I think in terms of how I felt mentally and my confidence, it was honestly on the floor... I knew I wanted to come in training camp and really work, work my ass off, and force my coaches to be like, 'Okay, we have to use Kiki.'"

Kiki Iriafen said that the moment she realized she and Sonia Citron could play at the highest levels of the WNBA was their first time against the Las Vegas Aces. There was no Brittney Sykes, no Shakira Austin - just the rookies and Stef Dolson - and they almost won.

Kiki Iriafen is excited about getting an offseason to work on her game, something she hasn't had since July 2024. "I'm not someone that thinks I have it all together... I need to come back next season and be able to shoot the three at a high clip."

Going to go through and post some of the highlights of the Mystics' exit interviews from yesterday. Lots of positive vibes for the first season of a young team, despite missing the WNBA Playoffs.