Washington Mystics, an American professional basketball club, is located in Washington D.C. They are a member of the Women's National Basketball Association and compete in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1997. It was named after Alana Beard, a former female basketball player. Their first WNBA championship took place in 2010 and the Mystics now hold the title. Listed below are a few things to know about the team.
Alana Beard
Alana Beard a rookie in WNBA was selected as the second overall pick in 2004 WNBA draft. The Mystics finished the 2003 season last in the Eastern Conference with a 9-25 record. Beard was brought into the organization with the hope that she could help turn things around for the team. Beard expressed her appreciation for her teammates, and the relationship she had with them. This was reflected in her performance in the WNBA.
Changes to team
Prior to the 2011 season, Washington Mystics made some controversial changes. Despite having the best season in franchise-history, the team isn't as strong as it was expected. The Mystics traded Skylar Smith and Courtney Harding, star forwards, to relieve Angela Taylor, head coach and general manger. Taylor was replaced with Trudi Lacey as head coach.
First ever WNBA Finals
Washington Mysoltics won the first WNBA Finals. They came back after going down 2-0 in the Game 1. Elena Delle Donne scored 22 points for the Mystics in Game 5. The six-foot-five forward, who is 6'5" and five feet tall, won the MVP Award. This was the first time that a WNBA player has been awarded the MVP. In addition, the team's two other star players - Emma Meesseman and Andre Iguodala - each scored at least 20 points. They were therefore voted the best team at the finals.
Organisational changes
Before the 2011 season, the Mystics made some controversial changes to the organization. Angela Taylor, assistant coaching coach, was fired for not being able to reach an agreement on a new deal with the owners of the team. Julie Plank, the head coach, refused to accept GM or coaching duties. Trudi Lacey was appointed GM. Sheila Johnson, owner of the Mystics, refused to comment on Taylor's departure citing ongoing human resource issues.
Uniform changes
The Washington Mystics is currently changing their uniforms. The previous uniforms were white with gold and black outline. The Mystics switched over to dark blue jerseys in 2010 and 2011. The team retained its jersey sponsor, Inova, in 2013, but the partnership ends in 2015. In the meantime, the jerseys now feature the team name and city as well as the city's logo. The jerseys were made more colorful in 2016, when the Mystics went all-in on the matchups.