Young Mystics relying on strong bonds to improve while making push toward postseason

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Sydney Johnson remembers the camaraderie he felt as a player at Princeton, and the respect he had for coach Pete Carril and the Tigers’ coaching staff. It was something he vowed to bring with him every stop he made during his basketball career.

So, when he was hired as coach of the Washington Mystics two days before Christmas in 2024, he began laying the foundation for a strong locker room culture by reaching out to the players, or, as he calls it, planting “the seeds of connectivity and realness.”

The growth is showing in Washington.

The Mystics are one of the hottest teams in the WNBA, and despite having their seven-game winning streak snapped Tuesday by the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, they're in the thick of the playoff race.

Since dropping to 8-9 and sitting ninth in the standings on June 26 after a loss to the Connecticut Sun, the Mystics are 11-4 and in sixth place, ahead of the New York Liberty and Dallas Wings.

Along with the desire to get better and a competitive nature, Johnson credits the success to relationships and trust, from the coaching staff to an egoless locker room.

“That’s one of our pillars, is just like the humility that we want, that we ask from each other,” he said. “We want direct communication, we want to work hard, we want to be tough, we want to be joyful.

“But we also like the humility to be able to speak to each other, to receive information, to celebrate each other’s successes — not just our own. That’s a real part of what we have here.”

A wealth of talent that just got stronger with the signing of veteran Betnijah Laney-Hamilton doesn't hurt, either.

“The thing that impressed me most about the Mystics is the youth, the energy,” said Laney-Hamilton, who made her Mystics debut Tuesday. “Just the way, regardless of what people think or had to say, just the way that they come out and fight. And so to be a part of that now, I feel like that’s something that I embody as well as a player and as a person. It’s just been everything that I’ve needed.

“The way that everyone’s embraced me, the way that everyone’s been pouring into me ... I couldn’t have asked for a better landing spot.”

Leading the way for Washington this season has been Shakira Austin, the reigning Eastern Conference player of the week. Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron have been just as integral.

The three rank among the top 28 scorers in the league, as the Mystics are one of just four teams with at least three players on that list. The league-leading Minnesota Lynx have four, while the Indiana Fever and Atlanta Dream also have three.

“I think from the beginning we kind of knew what this team could do, and I don’t think we really care about the outside noise or what other people are saying,” said Citron, who leads the team with 17.1 points per game. “We just want to come in every day and show up, and just get better game by game.”

The Mystics went from ranking fifth in the league defensively, allowing 84.1 points per game through their first 17 contests, to ranking second over their last 15 by allowing 81.2. They also have at least one win over every team currently in playoff position.

Austin said the team’s chemistry begins in the locker room, with leadership from herself and Michaela Onyenwere, to second-year All-Stars Citron and Iriafen, to rookies who are eager to learn.

“I think just putting all that together and not really allowing ourselves to get complacent," said Austin, who is averaging 16.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. "I know that’s something I will continue to repeat, is no one cares about last game, no one cares about our record, our streaks, anything.

“It’s all about what you do in the present, and I think that’s just something we continue to preach: be where our feet are and to continue to get better every day.”

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