The Mystics have an incredible young core with Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, and Shakira Austin. Georgia Amoore, Jacy Sheldon, Jade Melbourne, and Lucy Olsen are also interesting young talents. That core will get some reinforcements ahead of the 2026 WNBA season. For the second year in a row, the Mystics have three first-round picks. They will get to pick fourth, ninth, and eleventh overall.
Those are great picks, especially the lottery pick, but the Mystics could improve their chances of landing another young star by trading up. Out of the top three, Minnesota is the only team that may be willing to part ways with its pick for two lower selections. Minnesota is focused on winning now and would be able to find a great young talent to develop with the fourth overall pick, while also landing another draft asset that could be used in a sign-and-trade move to bring in veteran talent. However, it’s just as likely that Cheryl Reeve decides to hold on to the pick and just adds the best young talent possible to her roster.
For the Mystics, trading up would guarantee more choices and a shot at a future superstar—something they currently need more desperately than the Lynx.
Trading up would make it easier for the Mystics to get the player they want
This draft class features several players the Mystics could use. Olivia Miles could be the team’s star point guard, Azzi Fudd and Sonia Citron would make for a deadly 3-point duo, and Flau’jae Johnson would add strong two-way play and shot creation. At least one of them should be available at number four, but trading up would increase the Mystics’ chances of getting who they want and not just who is still available when they get to pick.
Dallas has the top pick, and that choice will decide how the rest of the draft goes. At this point, it seems that the Wings’ decision will come down to Awa Fam or Azzi Fudd, leaving the team with the second pick with a treasure trove of talent to choose from, and at least two of the players, who would be the best fit for the Mystics, still on the board. Fudd and Miles aren’t likely to make it past two and three, as both would be great fits in either Minnesota or Seattle.
Adding three first-round picks would flood the roster with young talent
The most important thing with a young roster is to surround the next generation of players with great veteran leadership and make sure that all young players can get the minutes they need to develop. The Mystics already have five players under contract for the 2026 season, and Shakira Austin is a restricted free agent, who will very likely be back in Washington next season.
Lucy Olsen is the only one out of that group who may not make the roster with Georgia Amoore’s return to the court imminent. Even without Olsen, that would be five players plus three first-round picks unless one of those picks is used on an international player, like Iyana Martin or Nell Angloma, who might not join the team right away.
That would only leave the Mystics with four or five spots to give to more experienced players and create a bit of a log jam of young talent. Young players need a lot of minutes, and, while the Mystics have plenty of developmental minutes available, not every young player would be able to get the minutes they need and deserve with three first-round picks coming in on top of all of last season’s picks. Trading two picks for one higher pick would help with that.