The 2026 season was everything the Mystics could have hoped for. They won 28 games and secured the No.5 seed going into the playoffs, finishing ahead of the Indiana Fever, Dallas Wings, and New York Liberty despite relying on a group of first- and second-year players.
Shakira Austin earned All-WNBA and All-Defensive honors. Sonia Citron also got an All-Defensive nod, and she and Kiki Iriafen were named All-Stars once again. Moreover, Sydney Johnson established a strong defensive identity. The Mystics finished the regular season with the second-best defensive rating. The Atlanta Dream swept them in the first round, but their core gained invaluable playoff experience.
Now, the focus has to be on building on this year’s success and moving one step closer to title contention. To get there, the Mystics need to improve their offense. They finished twelfth in offensive rating, largely due to their lack of 3-point shooting and need for a better point guard rotation.
Georgia Amoore is a great young prospect, but she was also fresh off an ACL tear, and the Mystics could use a veteran floor general to help her out. Amoore also didn’t deliver the 3-point shooting the Mystics were hoping for—no one other than Michaela Onyenwere did, really. The Mystics ranked 12th in 3-point percentage and last in attempts per game.
They could look to the Valkyries’ roster to address that problem. Cecilia Zandalasini, who was moved to the bench during the finals, will be a restricted free agent, and Golden State could be willing to trade Janelle Salaün after she fell out of Natalie Nakase’s playoff rotation.
Cecilia Zandalasini should be one of the Mystics’ targets in free agency
Zandalasini is a 37.7% 33-point shooter for her WNBA career. She didn’t shoot it well this past season. She made just 32.4% of her four attempts per game, but she is one of the WNBA’s toughest shotmakers. Besides 3-point shooting, she would add veteran experience to the Mystics’ young roster.
There are just two problems. For one, even though Nakase moved Zandalasini to the bench, she was a big part of their championship run, and she may not even want to leave Golden State. Secondly, because she is a restricted free agent, the Valkyries can match any offer sheet she signs in free agency. The team isn’t exactly teeming with offensive talent, so they may want to retain her.
Janelle Salaün would be an interesting trade candidate
Janelle Salaün was a big part of the Valkyries’ regular season success. She was named Sixth Player of the Year and averaged 12.7 points while shooting 39.2% on 5.9 3-point attempts per game. Nevertheless, she fell out of Nakase’s playoff rotation during the first round. After playing 21 minutes in Game 1 against the Wings and 30 in Game 2, she only played ten or more minutes twice for the rest of the postseason.
Her defense was the most likely reason. The Valkyries often employed Salaün as a backup five due to their lack of actual centers, and she just wasn’t a good matchup against the Aces’ and Dream’s frontcourts. The Mystics have Austin, Iriafen, and Lauren Betts, so Salaün could slot back into her natural position at the three or four, improve the Mystics’ spacing, and develop alongside a young core that will lead a title contender soon enough.
But, just like with Zandalasini, there’s one problem. What can the Mystics offer that the Valkyries would be interested in? The Mystics have an abundance of draft picks and young players, but the Valkyries haven’t valued either so far in their tenure.
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