Two weeks ago I was wondering how much we should be adjusting expectations for this year’s Washington Mystics squad based on their surprisingly good performance that put them on the edge of the playoffs instead of in the driver’s seat for a top draft pick. My conclusion is that despite the exciting youth-infusion, the Mystics did not have the firepower to truly compete. It seems like the front office agreed with me, because on Tuesday they traded All-Star guard Brittney Sykes to Seattle for veteran guard Alysha Clark and a first-round pick in the 2026 draft.
From a fan perspective it’s disappointing that the Mystics are forgoing a playoff spot, even if a run was unlikely, and “Slim” will definitely be missed as she has been a bright spot in some bad seasons. However, while Sykes has had another good season defensively, she was terribly miscast as a primary offensive weapon, with an effective field goal percentage (eFG%) of 41.2% despite leading the team in shots. Add that to an expiring contract and Sykes being one of only two Mystics over 30, it made a lot of sense to trade her.
The first round pick is the obvious prize in adding more young players to the team, but the most immediate beneficiary is Lucy Olsen. Olsen played 22 minutes in the Mystics’ first game without Sykes, doubling her season average, and had a respectable 7 points and 3 assists. In contrast to Sykes, Olsen was great in driving play on the offensive end with a 60% eFG% and assisting on 25.1% of her teammates’ baskets for an offensive rating of 122 points per 100 possessions.
I talked a lot about Olsen’s fellow draft picks Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron for good reason, but Olsen could end up being another Jamila Wideman success story in the making. Despite being the 23rd overall pick Olsen has the 5th most win shares in her draft class with 0.7. In the game Tuesday against the Chicago Sky, while Olsen was playing 22 minutes and shining, fellow guard, and 11th overall pick, Hailey Van Lith was planted firmly on the bench with just 30 seconds of game time.
If Olsen can maintain her 56.3% true shooting percentage in increased minutes she could add a missing dimension to the Mystics’ offensive game. Like I discussed previously, Citron and Iriafen have been great offensively but do not create their own shots. In contrast, Olsen has only had 36.4 percent of her baskets this year come off of assists. Pair that with Tuesday’s 25 percent assist rate and you have a player who is comfortable handling the ball, driving to create space for her teammates, while still being able to effectively score on their own. To that last point, Olsen would also address the Mystics weakness beyond the arc, as her 37.8% three point shooting percentage is second best on the team.
It remains to be seen how many minutes Olsen receives from coach Sydney Johnson as the season wears on, with Clark likely to take on a major role to provide stability and veteran leadership. I’m not arguing against that, as player development can be harmed if young players are thrown out on the court willy-nilly. Because of how much a player does on the court is dependent on the positioning and flow of their teammates, I would not want Citron or Iriafen picking up bad habits trying to cover for Olsen’s mistakes. However, what we have seen so far has been encouraging and I’m hoping that the Mystics have struck gold again in finding another key piece to their contender puzzle.
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