Mystics rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen are clearly the franchise’s future, as they hit the ground running in their first WNBA campaign. But veteran Brittney Sykes, who looks primed to make her first All-Star team this summer, represents the Mystics’ present.
This time last year, during the final season under former coach Eric Thibault and former general manager Mike Thibault, the Mystics were an abysmal 2-13.
Without former MVP Elena Delle Donne, the squad looked rudderless as they lost its first 10 games.
Fast-forward 12 months, and the 5-7 Mystics have a clear vision. First-year coach Sydney Johnson has a revamped roster positioned 1/2 game back of a playoff spot.
New general manager Jamila Wideman led a quiet offseason in her first winter in the District. The Mystics were quiet in free agency and shipped Ariel Atkins, the only All-Star left on the roster, to the Chicago Sky for a first-round pick.
The Mystics looked ready for a painful rebuild. The first month of Washington’s season has been far from torturous. Iriafen and Citron look like potential foundational pieces while Sykes develops into a steady hand at the helm.
The Mystics defeated Atkins and the Sky 79-72 on Tuesday night, dropping Chicago toward the bottom of the standings.
Seemingly endless praise has been heaped on Iriafen and Citron. Iriafen, the WNBA Rookie of the Month for May, leads the Mystics in rebounds. Citron trails only Sykes among Mystics with 13.3 points per game.
“Phenomenal,” Sykes said. “They always step up. … That’s just credit to them, trusting and buying into a coach’s system and understanding we all have to be a unit.”
But Sykes keeps stealing the show. The 31-year-old leads Washington in points, assists, steals and pregame Chipotle meals.
The fast casual dining spot is a must before every game, as is an oatmeal and bacon breakfast.
“I’m a creature of habit,” Sykes confessed after posting 32 points during Tuesday’s win.
The routines have paid off this season. A two-time All-Defense selection, Sykes is emerging as a viable scoring option for Washington.
Only five WNBA players are averaging more points per game than Sykes, who drained more than 50% of her shots — including four of five three-point attempts — against the Sky.
As the elder stateswoman on the youngest team in the WNBA, Sykes feels the pressure to carry the offense every night. It’s a welcome challenge.
“I had to bounce back for the team, for myself,” the guard said after scoring just nine points in a blowout loss to the Atlanta Dream on Sunday. “I just want to be consistent for my team.”
Her teammates are believers. To center Shakira Austin, Sykes looks like an All-Star.
“This is the year where she’s really putting it together,” Austin said. “Both in what she can give physically for us but also mentally, just being that leader. You know we’re going to ride with her.”
Sykes’ off-court value can’t be overstated, according to those in the locker room. With a savvy veteran to guide the squad, Iriafen and Citron have shone. When Washington needs help on offense, they can rely on their unofficial captain to draw a foul in the paint or find the open shooter.
“She lifted us up and allowed others to perform,” Johnson said. “That’s what All-Stars do. There’s numbers, and then there’s numbers and play and bringing your team with you. That’s really on display.”
It comes naturally to Sykes, who is now in her third season with the Mystics. She’s always been a team-first player who thrives on defense.
That hasn’t changed. The team around her has.
Atkins and Delle Donne are gone, leaving Sykes to lead a fresh-faced group by example.
“It’s all for my teammates,” Sykes said. “I love them to death, and we go to war together. We just finally started to hoop, and things have started to just open up for us. Everybody gets a taste of the ball.”
The Mystics return to the court Thursday to face the Atlanta Dream, Sykes’ former team.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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