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WNBA record recap: Breaking down 2019 records and milestones reached

By Kurtis Zimmerman

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 8: Elena Delle Donne #11 of the Washington Mystics speaks with the media after the game against the Chicago Sky on September 8, 2019 at the St Elizabeths East Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 8: Elena Delle Donne #11 of the Washington Mystics speaks with the media after the game against the Chicago Sky on September 8, 2019 at the St Elizabeths East Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 8: Elena Delle Donne #11 of the Washington Mystics drives to the basket against the Chicago Sky on September 8, 2019 at the St Elizabeths East Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 8: Elena Delle Donne #11 of the Washington Mystics drives to the basket against the Chicago Sky on September 8, 2019 at the St Elizabeths East Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Washington Mystics

The Mystics returned in 2019 with essentially the same roster that made it to the WNBA Finals last year, and the only surprise was just how dominating their wins often were.

Most impressively, Elena Delle Donne became the first player in league history with a 50-40-90 season, going 220-427 (51.5%) from the field, 52-121 (43.0%) from three, and 114-117 (97.4%) from the free throw line.

Several other individual records were set this season:

  • Natasha Cloud had 190 total assists, a new Mystics single-season record, beating Nikki Teasley’s 183 in 2006.
  • Kristi Toliver had 6.0 assists per game over 23 games and Cloud had 5.6 per game, both beating Teasley’s previous record of 5.4 assists per game in 2006.
  • Emma Meesseman had 73 assists and 22 turnovers, setting a new Mystics record with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.3.
  • Delle Donne’s 97.4% from the free throw line is a new Mystics record.
  • Delle Donne had nine games with 25 or more points, extending her total to 28 with the Mystics and passing Alana Beard (26 total) to become the franchise’s all-time leader.
  • Cloud’s record season in assists also pushed her past Beard to become the franchise’s leader all-time (617).
  • Meesseman ended the season as the franchise’s all-time leader in blocks (179), passing Murriel Page (174).

As a team, the Mystics set many franchise and league records:

  • They beat the Sun by 43 on June 29, a new franchise record win margin.
  • The Mystics had 30 assists and six turnovers as a team on August 18 against the Fever, setting a new franchise game high in assist-to-turnover ratio (5.0).
  • That same game they made a league record 18 threes as a team. Nine Mystics players made at least one three, also a record in a single game.
  • 26 wins is a franchise record, as is their win percentage (76.5%), and eight losses is a franchise low.

They broke several franchise records (previous best in parentheses):

  • 3,035 total points (2,789 in 2018)
  • 89.3 points per game (84.5 in 2018)
  • 1,115 made field goals (1,016 in 2006)
  • 32.8 made field goals per game (30.5 in 2018)
  • 2,375 field goal attempts (2,323 in 2017)
  • 69.9 field goal attempts per game (68.3 in 2017)
  • 46.9% shooting from the field (46.2% in 2006)
  • 19 wins by 10 or more points (11 in 2006)

Beyond that, they set several records in WNBA history (previous best in parentheses):

  • Average win margin of 19.5 points (16.8 by the Houston Comets in 2000)
  • 16 wins by 15 or more points (15 by the 2000 Comets)
  • 13 wins by 20 or more points (9 by the 2000 Comets)
  • 8 wins by 25 or more points (7 by the 2000 Comets)
  • 746 assists (721 by the Chicago Sky and Seattle Storm each in 2018)
  • 21.9 assists per game (21.2 by the Sky ad Storm each in 2018)
  • Assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.0 [746 assists and 371 turnovers] (1.8 by the Minnesota Lyn in 2013)
  • 52.9% shooting inside the arc (52.5% by the Phoenix Mercury in 2014)
  • 316 made threes (307 by the 2018 Storm)
  • 9.3 made threes per game (9.0 by the 2018 Storm)
  • 864 three-point attempts (816 by the 2018 Storm)
  • 25.4 three-point attempts per game (24 by the 2018 Storm)
  • 87.5% from the free throw line (85.8% by the 2018 Mystics)

On the way, several Mystics players reached new milestones:

  • Toliver scored her 4,000th point, made her 600th three, grabbed her 300th steal, and moved up to 8th in made threes (600).
  • Delle Donne scored her 3,500th point and recorded her 300th block.
  • Meesseman scored her 2,000th point.
  • Tianna Hawkins scored her 1,000th point and grabbed her 500th rebound.
  • LaToya Sanders recorded her 200th block and 100th steal.
  • Cloud recorded her 500th assist.

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