The 2026 WNBA midseason trade deadline was at 3 p.m. ET yesterday. After a big offseason for league where many players changed teams thanks to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, one would think that teams may be more inclined to make a quick midseason trade. But like most WNBA trade deadlines, there weren’t many such moves. And no moves involved teams who are in the playoff picture, including the Washington Mystics.
The biggest move of the midseason was Kelsey Plum getting traded from the Los Angeles Sparks to the Phoenix Mercury. Phoenix is 11-19, six games behind the New York Liberty for the eighth spot. With most of the season now behind us, Phoenix will need a big push and hope for a team in the playoff picture to regress over the next couple months. The WNBA season will have a late regular season break for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup.
Washington is currently seventh place in the regular season standings with a 16-12 record and the youngest roster in the WNBA. Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin have played admirably (and perhaps better than expected) this season with a supporting cast that is almost entirely made up of rookies. Given that Washington made no moves at the trade deadline, it’s apparent that Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger and the Mystics front office are content with staying the course: letting the young players carry the team to the playoffs if that’s what happens.
That said, let’s also be mindful that given the Mystics’ construction this year, the front office also seems content with the Mystics not making the playoffs either. Most pundits thought they were lottery bound with room to spare. Washington’s remaining schedule also still has some tough games ahead. On Aug. 11 and 13, the Mystics will have a double header against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. The results of those games will give us a clear picture on how Washington could fare in a playoff series.
Should we be disappointed that the Mystics didn’t make a move for a playoff push? Personally, I wish they would have made a move for Plum who hits free agency this year, and Washington would have the cap space to sign her. But it’s clear that Winger and his staff are still taking a wait and see approach with the Mystics until this season ends.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
