Many teams were desperate to make moves before the trade deadline, including the Seattle Storm. They ended up trading for Mystics All-Star Brittney Sykes, offering Washington a chance to acquire even more draft capital. For the second year in a row, the Mystics will get to make three first-round picks, including one lottery pick. Those three picks are invaluable assets for a team trying to fill out a young core and build for the future.
For the Storm, the trade didn’t pay off quite as much as it should for the Mystics once the draft rolls around. Despite having four All-Stars on their roster—Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, Gabby Williams, and Brittney Sykes—the Storm didn’t make it past the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Noelle Quinn is already out as the team’s head coach, and the organization will have to figure out which direction to go in from now on. They have few young players besides Dominique Malonga and gave up an opportunity to add three youngsters to the roster in the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Getting a first-round pick for an All-Star who didn’t fit the team’s timeline was a pretty good haul. Now that the trade officially didn’t lead to any playoff success for the Storm, it seems the Mystics already won the trade before even making use of the draft pick.
Brittney Sykes had a rough playoff run with the Storm
Sykes was the Mystics’ leading scorer before being traded to the Storm. She averaged 15.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.2 steals. During the playoffs, that same kind of scoring prowess and playmaking was not on display. Sykes totalled only 13 points and two assists over three playoff games.
Like pretty much any other veteran in the league, Sykes will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. If she doesn’t return for next season, the Storm gave up a first-round pick for a player who played 17 games and didn’t help the team to any significant postseason success.
Meanwhile, the Mystics will get a chance to add to an already great young core.
Washington has several interesting young players
Unlike most WNBA teams, the Mystics have several players under contract past this season. Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Georgia Amoore, Jacy Sheldon, and Lucy Olsen are all still on their rookie contracts. Emily Engstler will be a reserved free agent, and Shakira Austin and Sug Sutton will enter restricted free agency.
Even if the Mysics lose some of Austin, Engstler, and Jade Melbourne, they still have two young All-Stars between Citron and Iriafen and the opportunity to add even more young talent to the mix. The Mystics own a lottery pick, the ninth pick (from the Storm), and the eleventh pick.
The lottery pick is obviously the most interesting one and offers a chance to add another potential All-Star to the duo of Iriafen and Citron. However, the other two picks also have immense value. The Mystics can use them to select young role players to develop alongside their core and fill needs, like improved 3-point shooting. They could also trade one pick or a combination of picks to move up in the draft.