The Washington Mystics may have the youngest roster in the WNBA, but they are in a great position to make the playoffs. They have the eighth-best record, trailing the Liberty by just half a game in the standings, and have a nice five-game advantage over the Sparks.
Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, and Shakira Austin are ready for their first playoff run as a group—Austin played two games in 2022 without her All-Star teammates—but the roster is not without its flaws. As exciting as all the young talent in Washington is, the depth and quality of play at the point guard spot has been an issue. It’s too early to give up on Georgia Amoore, but after suffering an ACL tear before her rookie season even started last year, she’s just not quite ready to be a high-impact player for a playoff team.
The Mystics opted not to trade for a veteran point guard at the trade deadline. While a veteran presence would have solidified their playoff chances, it makes sense that they didn’t want to make a move during the season. Plus, they may already have found the solution to their problem—at least to close out tight games. Washington beat three playoff teams during its four-game win streak—Golden State, Las Vegas, and Dallas—and closed all three of those games with Cotie McMahon in place of Amoore and Citron taking over the point guard duties.
Leaning into McMahon’s defense and size alongside Citron’s improved playmaking is the way to go for the rest of the season.
Putting the ball in Sonia Citron’s hands makes all the sense in the world
Sonia Citron is the best shot creator and scorer in the Mystics’ guard rotation right now. She has also improved as a playmaker, almost matching the number of total assists from her rookie season just 25 games into the season. She’s at 95 right now—nine shy of last year’s 104 assists.
Putting the ball in Citron’s hands and trusting her to make the right play to close out tight games is the best thing the Mystics can do at this point. If Citron is running the offense, McMahon makes much more sense next to her than Amoore.
McMahon played point guard in her final college season at Ole Miss. She can handle the ball and make plays as well while providing more size and better defense than Amoore, which can be invaluable in late-game situations. Against the Wings, for example, she was able to guard Arike Ogunbowale or Azzi Fudd, while Citron was on Paige Bueckers. In that game, Sydney Johnson subbed Amoore in for one offensive possession, but the ball was still with Citron, and McMahon closed the game out on the final defensive possession.
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