Washington Mystics announce date for championship parade
Mark your calendars for May 12
The Washington Mystics announced today that their much anticipated championship parade will be held on Tuesday, May 12.
Celebrating the Mystics’ 2019 WNBA title, the parade will begin at 11 a.m. local time and travel the 0.6 miles from the National Museum of Women in the Arts to Capital One Arena, which was the team’s home court through 2018.
Ted Leonsis, the chairman and CEO of the group that owns the Mystics, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, said in the announcement:
"“I’ve always believed nothing brings a city closer together than a winning sports team, so I am thrilled to celebrate the Mystics’ first WNBA championship with the City of Washington, D.C. This celebration will be something that elevates and unites our community. We want to create something special as a way to say thank you to our fans and to demonstrate to the world why we are the District of Champions.”"
The parade was delayed until the spring because many of the Mystics, including WNBA Finals MVP Emma Meesseman, were slated to go overseas almost immediately after Game 5. However, the remaining members of the team still took a well-deserved victory lap that included a celebration at the arena, an appearance on Good Morning America, and a Zamboni ride at a Washington Capitals game.
DC mayor Muriel Bowser said that the spring parade would be “the beginning of a new tradition in the District of Champions: kicking off a new season with parades and banners.” She added, “Then we all know what we need to do – run it back!”
The Mystics will also host a block party before the season opener on May 16, just as they did last year. Their championship banner will be unveiled at that game, which will be against the Los Angeles Sparks (and former Mystic Kristi Toliver).
It is perhaps not a coincidence that these announcements came on Sunday, March 8—an unusual day of the week for news, but also International Women’s Day. The team celebrated the day on social media several hours before announcing the parade. It is similarly symbolic that the parade will begin at a museum dedicated to celebrating women’s accomplishments.
Mystics fans, mark May 12th on your calendars as a day to take a long lunch break and celebrate the team’s 2019 championship. The parade will be easily accessible via Metro; the closest stops to the museum are Metro Center and Gallery Place, which together serve all six Metro lines.
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