WNBA Offseason Primer: Washington Mystics

January 15 marked the official start of WNBA free agency. The WNBA released an official list of core players, reserved players, unrestricted free agents and restricted free agents.

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With the help of The Summitt’s WNBA salaries database compiled by our own Howard Megdal, we’ll take a look at each WNBA team going into free agency, aiming to answer the following questions:

Which players are free agents?
Which players are still under contract?
Who are some potential prospects worth targeting in the upcoming WNBA Draft?
Which players on the free agent markets would be good fits to add for 2018?

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 12: Emma Meesseman

The Washington Mystics finished last season with a record of 18-16. As the six seed, they defeated the Dallas Wings at home in the first round of the playoffs, then defeated the Liberty at Madison Square Garden in round two. The Mystics were swept by the Minnesota Lynx in a best-of-five semifinal series.

A run to the semifinals is especially impressive for Mike Thibault and the Mystics when you consider all the time their key players missed throughout the season: Elena Delle Donne missed nine games with a thumb injury (that still bothered her some upon her return), Emma Meesseman missed time while away competing in EuroBasket, Natasha Cloud missed time due to a foot injury, and starting point guard Tayler Hill suffered a torn ACL in July.

The Mystics did not get any sort of extended stretch to try out different combinations with all of their best players available. Credit Thibault, though, for turning to the lineup that got them to the semis. Washington went big by inserting Krystal Thomas into the starting lineup alongside Meesseman and Delle Donne. Tierra Ruffin-Pratt continued to take on the opposing team’s top perimeter scorer, and Toliver was called on to create more in Hill’s absence.

Meesseman found herself in a shooting slump at the worst possible time. Naturally, with Thomas playing more minutes, Washington had to rely on Meesseman much more often to knock down open jump shots. The Mystics’ lack of depth was also exposed against the Lynx. Ivory Latta’s shooting regressed in the second half of the season. Natasha Cloud gave the team good minutes once she got healthy, but the Mystics struggled without another player to knock down open shots.

Now let’s break down Washington’s situation — current free agents, players still under contract and the status of their 2018 draft picks.

Unrestricted free agents (UFAs): G Allison Hightower, G Ivory Latta

Restricted free agents (RFAs): F Tianna Hawkins

Reserved players: G Asia Taylor

Core player: N/A

Players under contract:

F Elena Delle Donne (contract details unknown)
F Emma Meesseman through 2019 (will sit out the 2018 season)
G Kristi Toliver (contract details unknown)
G Tayler Hill (contract details unknown — re-signed to multi-year deal 2/6/17)
G/F Tierra Ruffin-Pratt (contract details unknown — re-signed to multi-year deal 2/3/17)
C Krystal Thomas (contract details unknown — signed multi-year deal 2/8/17)
G Natasha Cloud through 2018
G Shatori Walker-Kimbrough through 2020 (team option)

2018 draft picks: No. 7, No. 19, No. 31

WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 17: Tierra Ruffin-Pratt

To continue from earlier, the Mystics could use some reliable shooting on the wing. RFA Tianna Hawkins has really worked to extend her range. She shot the ball well from midrange while the three ball is still more of a work in progress. The Mystics already know who their top four frontcourt players are; retaining Hawkins as a piece to complement them (and possibly become a threat from deep down the line) would be a plus.

Maybe you’d roll with Hill and Toliver as the only point guards in a playoff series, but Hill will need to work her way back to full strength. If the Mystics are confident Latta in 2018 will play more like Latta in the first half of 2017, the veteran would definitely have a role with the team. 2017 No. 6 overall pick Walker-Kimbrough may be ready to grow into a bigger role off the bench and provide some much needed spot-up shooting.

Adding some more shooting makes the decision to play smaller much easier, too. One more player could unlock a lot of possibilities for this team to play both big and small. Thomas will be a key piece against the best teams. But you want the option to open up the floor when Delle Donne and Meesseman are really cooking. An open lane also frees up Ruffin-Pratt (a very fun an creative passer at her position) to roam the lane and look to make plays.

Update (1/31): With Thibault’s announcement that Meesseman will not play in the WNBA in 2018, the outlook changes for us quite a bit from the outside. Thibault noted in the release that the team has “been preparing for this possibility for a while.”

The Meesseman news ought to solidify Thomas’ spot in the starting lineup for the foreseeable future. Ruffin-Pratt could spend more time at the three spot to open up some playing time for another guard. Backup center now becomes an immediate need, which the team may hope to address through the draft. Matching any offer on Hawkins now makes much more sense as well.

Our own Howard Megdal currently has UConn’s Azura Stevens going to the Mystics at No. 7 on version one of The Summitt’s 2018 WNBA Mock Draft Big Board. Stevens isn’t the only talented frontcourt player that may be available in that range. Mississippi State’s Victoria Vivians has had a wonderful season playing more as a stretch four, knocking down threes and getting to the basket with ease. Monique Billings of UCLA is long, athletic and has developed some nice footwork inside. Maria Vadeeva (Russia), Gabby Williams (UConn) or Teaira McCowan (Mississippi State) could also be available at that spot.

Players to possibly target in free agency:

Monique Currie — Washington may look for a source of instant offense off the bench, with Delle Donne and Hill being the primary creators for the starting group. Toliver was stretched pretty thin trying to create for others in Hill’s absence, though she showed the fans at MSG what she is still capable of creating for herself. Currie gets to the line, can run a pick and roll and had her best season yet from deep in 2017 (39.8%, 98 attempts). Cappie Pondexter, too, makes a little more sense now with the Meesseman news.
Kia Vaughn would be a great player to target, though another team may have a bigger role to offer. Vaughn and Thomas would give Washington a physical, defensive-minded presence at that spot. Hitting the offensive glass hard became a bigger part of Washington’s identity once Thomas was inserted into the lineup. Vaughn could help in that aspect of the game as well.
Knowing the Mystics should be able to get Meesseman’s money off their books for 2018, they could also make a run at a restricted free agent. Theresa Plaisance is one of the more proven three-point shooting bigs in the league. Jordan Hooper is also a shooting specialist that could log minutes at either forward spot. Bria Hartley could completely solidify their guard rotation — she could play with either of their starters and share playmaking duties with Toliver.
Jeanette Pohlen-Mavunga could be a player to target to sprinkle some shooting into their bench lineups. One of the oft-metioned wings in this series (Tamera Young, Alex Montgomery, Shenise Johnson) could also add some valuable depth to the roster.

What are your expectations for the Mystics in 2018? What kind of player should they target at No. 7, and what does this team need to look to add in free agency?