Washington Mystics: An American professional basketball league based in Washington D.C., the Washington Mystics. They are a part of the Women's National Basketball Association. The team was founded 1997, and its name is Alana Beard. Their first-ever WNBA championship came in 2010 and the Mystics are the defending champions. Below are some details about the team.
Alana Beard
Alana Beard, a rookie in the WNBA, was the second overall pick of the 2004 WNBA draft. The Mystics finished last in the Eastern Conference's 2003 season with a record of 9-25. Beard was recruited to the team with the hope of turning things around. Beard shared that she was proud of her team and the friendships she made with them. This was evident in her performance in WNBA.
Changes to the team
The Washington Mystics underwent a number of controversial changes in the lead up to the 2011 season. The team was not as strong after finishing the greatest season in franchise history. The Mystics traded away star forwards Courtney Harding and Skylar Smith, and relieved head coach and general manager Angela Taylor of her duties. Taylor was replaced with Trudi Lacey as head coach.
First ever WNBA Finals
Washington Mysoltics had a thrilling WNBA Finals. After going down 2-0 in Game 1 they made a remarkable comeback. Elena Delle Donne scored 22 points for the Mystics in Game 5. The six-foot-five forward won the MVP award and became the first WNBA player ever to take the MVP award from the bench. The team also had two star players, Emma Meesseman (and Andre Iguodala) who each scored at least 20. They were therefore voted the best team at the finals.
Modifications to the organization
The Mystics made controversial changes in their organization prior to the 2011 season. Assistant coach Angela Taylor was let go after failing to come to an agreement with the team's owners on a new contract. Julie Plank was not available to take over GM/coaching duties. Trudi Lacey was appointed GM. Sheila Johnson of the Mystics did not comment on Taylor’s departure, citing ongoing issues in human resources.
Modifications to uniforms
The Washington Mystics are currently in the midst of a major change in their uniforms. The previous uniforms were white with gold and black outline. The Mystics switched over to dark blue jerseys in 2010 and 2011. In 2013, Inova, the team's jersey sponsor, was retained by the Mystics, but that partnership has ended in 2015. The jerseys have the team name and logo on them. In 2016, the Mystics made the jerseys more colorful, going all out on matchups.