The Washington Mystics are in the midst of a rebuild. They entered the 2025 season with a roster that features only two players over the age of thirty. The next oldest player is Sug Sutton at 26.
Going into the season, the goal was to accumulate as much young talent as possible and determine which players should become the focal point for the future. Considering how much young talent is on the roster, the Mystics won’t be able to keep and properly develop all of it. So, figuring out what the team’s core should be after this season is crucial.
Just fifteen games into the season, that barely seems to be a question anymore. Kiki Iriafen, Sonia Citron, and Shakira Austin answered the Mystics’ biggest roster question, clearly establishing themselves as the top young players on the roster.
The Mystics’ core is now painfully obvious
Almost everyone on the Mystics’ roster has gotten the opportunity to prove themselves. Except for Sika Kone and Lucy Olsen, every player averages at least 11 minutes per game. While veteran Brittney Sykes leads the Mystics in minutes, points, assists, and steals, three youngsters have set themselves apart from the pack.
Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, and Shakira Austin are handily outplaying the other young players on the Mystics’ roster, firmly establishing themselves as the core Washington should build around.
Citron is the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. She recorded her first double-double in a big overtime win over the Dallas Wings with 27 points, including a game-winning three, and 11 rebounds. Citron barely looks like a rookie and has left no doubt that the Mystics should build around her.
Fellow Rookie of the Year candidate Kiki Iriafen also wasted no time to prove that she was ready for the WNBA. Iriafen is averaging 13.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. She has already recorded five double-doubles, battling with some of the best bigs in the league.
Shakira Austin started the season off more slowly than her rookie teammates but has been unstoppable as of late. She scored between 19 and 28 points in three consecutive games, including two big wins, and is establishing herself as one of the driving forces behind the Mystics’ playoff push.
So far this season, three different lineups that feature all of Citron, Iriafen, and Austin have played at least 20 total minutes. All of those lineups feature some combination of Brittney Sykes, Sug Sutton, and Jade Melbourne at the guard spots and a positive net rating. The lineup of Sykes, Sutton, Austin, Citron, and Iriafen has the best net rating among all lineups that have played together for at least twenty minutes.
The Mystics have a bright future
Washington is the youngest team in the WNBA this season. Nevertheless, the Mystics are pursuing a playoff spot. With a win over the Minnesota Lynx, they overtook the Las Vegas Aces and currently occupy the final playoff spot. While there will still be a lot of movement at the bottom of the playoff standings—the Valkyries, Fever, Mystics, and Aces are all very close to each other—making the playoffs now seems like a real possibility for the Mystics.
Washington’s future is also bright way beyond this season, though. The Mystics have one of the best young cores in the league.