What is the story about?
The
Washington Mystics will open their 2026 training camp today. Below is the entire training camp roster.
Here are some things to consider regarding the roster
- 12 of the 18 players are rookies. Granted, Alex Wilson, Kamaria McDaniel and Mya Hollingshed were all born before the year 2000.
- Wilson is the oldest Mystics player. She was on the Australian WNBL’s first team in 2025 and 2026, and will be a higher impact player than your average 22 year old. Julie Vanloo is another recent Mystics rookie (2024) who started playing in the USA years after playing in various international leagues for many years.
- All of the Mystics’ 2026 draft picks are on the training camp roster. And there’s a good chance that all six will make the opening day roster.
- Given the number of rookies and the lack of players who are in their late 20s, it’s clear that the Mystics, under Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger, will emulate the same strategy the Washington Wizards have for the last three seasons: Go young and play the youngsters at all costs. This is not a bad strategy for a rebuilding team. I have written that for much of the 2010s before Elena Delle Donne came to the team in 2017. However, in 2026, after a new CBA that quadrupled average player salaries, this was also a chance for a quick realignment where the next dynasties will be decided. The Mystics have all but decided to tank this year. This is worth another article, but just wanted to point that out.
- From a strategy perspective, the Mystics are hoping that Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen repeat their All-Star seasons from 2025. In a best case scenario, Shakira Austin joins them. All three are in the USA Basketball pipeline. But I’m very skeptical about how strong this roster will be. Citron and Iriafen made their All-Star appearances with Brittney Sykes last year when the team was on track to get a playoff berth. After trading Sykes to the Seattle Storm, the Mystics finished on a 10 game losing streak to end 2026. So in short, it will be an uphill battle for Citron, Iriafen or Austin to make the All-Star team in 2026.
- 12 of these players will make the team. Two more will be on developmental contracts, which is sort of like the NBA two-way contracts except that the WNBA doesn’t have a G-League equivalent.
So those are my thoughts now that I saw the training camp roster. Am I too pessimistic? It is disappointing that the Mystics haven’t made many signings besides bring in all of their draft picks. Or am I … more likely to be right? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
