The Atlanta Dream may have swept the Washington Mystics in the first round, but the potential of a team built around Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, and Shakira Austin was still obvious. Those three could accomplish great things with a veteran star scorer next to them.
Because their team is so young, the Mystics’s roster is cheap. Shakira Austin is the only player on a max contract or a protected deal right now. The Mystics could try to sign a big fish in free agency ahead of the 2027 season and further accelerate their timeline.
The four biggest stars to hit unrestricted free agency will be Napheesa Collier, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, and Kelsey Mitchell. Collier makes little sense as a target for Washington because they already have their starting frontcourt in place unless they can imagine her as a small forward next to Iriafen and Austin. It’s incredibly difficult to believe that Jackie Young will leave the Aces when she, A’ja Wilson, and Chelsea Gray are still very much capable of competing for and winning championships.
That leaves Plum and Mitchell. Given the way the 2026 season went—Plum missed most of it due to an injury while Kelsey Mitchell played all 44 games and set a new single-season scoring record with 1086 points—the latter is the most fascinating target available (although Plum could also be a fun fit).
Kelsey Mitchell could take the Mystics to the next level
Mitchell has played her entire WNBA career with the Indiana Fever. But this offseason will be the first time that she is an unrestricted free agent, isn’t core-eligible, and will draw a lot of interest. Mitchell didn’t commit to a Fever return in her exit interview, but that’s not unusual for big-time stars who hit true unrestricted free agency for the first time in their career.
The Mystics should see if there’s any way they can lure Mitchell away from Indiana. They can offer her the same level of on-court potential without the off-court drama that comes with being a Fever player, which Mitchell also called out in her exit interview. The Mystics may still be in an earlier stage of their rebuild compared to the Fever, but they have one of the best young cores in the W, and a veteran scorer like Mitchell could catapult them very close to title contention. Their young players still need some more experience, but the Mystics are certainly on the right track.
Between Iriafen, Austin, and Lauren Betts, they have a never-ending supply of strong inside presences. Austin and Iriafen are also both improving as 3-point shooters. Sonia Citron’s 3-point percentage dipped this year, but that should change with another star on the perimeter to help her shoulder the scoring load, especially in clutch moments. Mitchell averaged 24.7 points on 50.9% shooting from the field and 45% from deep. Even if she isn’t quite as unstoppable next year, it would be difficult for the Mystics to find a better pure scorer.
Unlike the Fever, the Mystics also have a very strong defensive infrastructure, lots of size, and physicality to make up for any shortcomings from Mitchell on that end of the floor—although she did work very hard defensively for the Fever this season.
A starting lineup of Austin, Iriafen, Citron, Mitchell, and Georgia Amoore—or a veteran point guard if they can find one in free agency or via a trade—with Michaela Onyenwere, Lauren Betts, Cotie McMahon, and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton coming off the bench could be a real force to be reckoned with.
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