Mystics’ rookies strong start forces Edwards to trade block

Unexpected successes can come with a cost. For the upstart Washington Mystics, the unexpected hot start by rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen has left 2024 first-rounder Aaliyah Edwards watching from the bench.

This week, several reports indicated that the Mystics were fielding trade offers on the University of Connecticut product selected with the sixth overall pick last year. 

“I am just trying to stay present in the moment,” Edwards said on Tuesday. “I’m not really looking too much into what’s being said online.”

Citron and Iriafen, this year’s third and fourth selections, have played like All-Stars as the Mystics have defied expectations and posted an 8-9 record as the season nears the midway point. 

Citron has become a reliable scorer, averaging 15.1 points per game while leading the Mystics in steals. Iriafen is a force on the glass with a team-high 8.4 rebounds per game with an added 12.1 points. 

Edwards, meanwhile, has been relegated to the bench. After starting half of her 34 games last season, the forward has been kept out of the starting lineup for every game this summer. 

Her stats have suffered. The 22-year-old is averaging just 4.9 points per game while shooting 39.3% from the field, a massive dip after converting nearly half of her shots in her rookie campaign. 

“As a competitor, you definitely think about those things. And as an athlete, we go through highs and lows. We have great seasons. We don’t have good seasons. We kind of have stall seasons,” Edwards said. “So my mentality of all of it is just to lean on my teammates, lean on my family, my friends, those who support me, lean on my country.”

While Mystics general manager Jamila Wideman considers trading Edwards, this year’s rookies are blossoming. Iriafen and Citron have taken the league by storm, surpassing even the most optimistic preseason projections for their debut season. 

“They’re not rookies, in a sense,” center Shakira Austin said after Wednesday’s practice. “They’re definitely not playing like it.”

Mystics coach Sydney Johnson had high hopes for his rookies. The reality that they would be impact performers on a playoff-contending team surprised him, though. 

“There’s exponential gains that we couldn’t have predicted,” he said. “That’s why I would say they’re ahead of schedule, overcoming or surpassing expectations because of how much they’re putting into it.”

As Johnson talked with reporters after Wednesday’s practice, Iriafen and Citron stayed on the court. They wanted the extra work. 

“The way they go about their business on the court, off the court,” he said. “They’re joyful, they’re humble, they’re competitive.”

The Mystics’ quick turnaround has occurred without fellow first-rounder Georgia Amoore. The sixth pick in this year’s draft has missed the entire season with an ACL tear. 

Instead, second-rounder Lucy Olsen has had a chance to shine. 

The Iowa product played a career-high 38 minutes in Thursday’s game against the Las Vegas Aces. She scored 14 points, converting five of her 12 shots, including three three-pointers. 

“I know she has the three-point shot. Her defense has gotten better, but she had a wonderful inside-hand layup over one of the bigs and I was really impressed by that,” Johnson said. “We have the confidence in her.”

A surplus of talented youngsters is a privileged problem for Washington to have, even if it leads to an Edwards-based trade. 

“I’m just really happy for them, and I’m really happy that they’re Mystics,” Washington’s coach said of the rookies. “The future is really, really bright with them here in a uniform.”

The Mystics return to action on Thursday against the 14-3 Minnesota Lynx.