Washington Mystics fans, rejoice. You no longer support the worst team in the WNBA.
That tremendous honor now belongs to the Dallas Wings (3-13), whom the Mystics defeated twice in back-to-back games over the weekend. Since opening the season with a franchise-worst 12 straight losses, Washington (4-13) has won four of their last five.
The Mystics aren’t out of the woods, but they’re blazing a trail towards daylight. So what’s changed?
Emily Engstler has arrived
If you’ve traversed the Mystics social media presence, you’re familiar with a frequently echoed sentiment in their comment sections:
“Why don’t you play Emily Engstler?”
“Start Em plz”
“If you played Emily, you would have won.”
Internet general managers don’t have the finest reputation, but maybe the “Emily Hive” was onto something.
Engstler was brought to Washington this year as somewhat of an experiment. The former Louisville star was the fourth overall pick in 2022 and served as a rotational piece on a struggling Fever team during her rookie year. She was waived the following offseason. Her sophomore campaign was a brief 12-game stint in Minnesota, and Engstler was left without a team coming into 2024.
A lack of WNBA production didn’t stop the Mystics from taking a chance on the Queens, New York native.
Engstler had seen expectedly infrequent minutes throughout the early season. She only appeared in half of the team’s first 12 games, averaging less than four minutes per contest.
Opportunity met preparation in the absence of starting forward Shakira Austin. Engstler’s minutes began to ramp up against the Fever on the 19th, and over the last three games, she’s been averaging over 21 minutes.
Head Coach Eric Thibault commended Engstler’s work ethic and said she earned her new role through practice.
“She’s been doing the work when people haven’t been around to see it,” said Thibault. “She’s made hustle plays and stuff for us, but there’s more to her game than that. She can really pass, and it was just a matter of time before she made some shots.”
Engstler hasn’t just made appearances on the hardwood– she’s impressed. She set a new career high in the Mystics’ first game against Dallas, recording 23 points and nine rebounds on 63.6% shooting. On the second night of the doubleheader, she scored 13 points on 71.4% shooting.
Player of the game was none other than @em__baller @Amtrak pic.twitter.com/VK0MMnIETr
— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) June 22, 2024
On a roster full of forwards, it’s hard to predict how playing time will be divided in any given game. However, two dominant showings will make it hard for Thibault and company to ignore Engstler’s upside.
Taking on the challenge vs. top-tier guards
The Mystics are expected to shut down opposing backcourts– a reputation that comes with the nine combined All-Defense selections between Ariel Atkins and Brittney Sykes.
Over the last five games, Washington has been living and dying by that reputation. They’ve faced a plethora of guards with All-WNBA ceilings, and team success has seemed intrinsically tied to opposing backcourt performance.
Wins against Atlanta, Chicago, and Dallas were testaments to suffocating guard defense. The loss to Indiana? Not so much.
All four teams were anchored by high-volume guards. Below are the stats from each opposing team’s leading shooter (most field goals attempted on the season):
Wins:
Allisha Gray (ATL, 6/11) – 9 points, 3-10 shooting.
Marina Mabrey (CHI, 6/14) – 5 points, 2-4 shooting.
Arike Ogunbowale (DAL, 6/22) – 6 points, 3-11 shooting.
Arike Ogunbowale (DAL, 6/23) – 23 points, 9-21 shooting.
Losses:
Kelsey Mitchell (IND, 6/19) – 22 points, 8-11 shooting.
Washington’s backcourt defense has been kept afloat amidst Syke’s injury by a surprising name: Karlie Samuelson.
Defense isn’t her calling card, but the 29-year-old has been asked to take on challenging matchups as of late. She was the primary defender of Caitlin Clark in both games against Indiana and forced Ogunbowale into tough shots as the Mystics swept the Wings.
Samuelson and Atkins may not be the lockdown backcourt that fans imagined to see, but they’re setting the temperature for a streaking Mystics team.
Atkins making history
On Saturday, Ariel Atkins passed both Elena Delle Donne and Crystal Langhorne on the all-time Mystics scoring list. She now has the fourth-most points in Mystics history with 2,568.
Above her are Monique Currie (2,843), Chamique Holdsclaw (2,960), and Alana Beard (3,128).
If Atkins maintains her scoring average of 14.9 points per game, it would take her 19 games to move into third, 27 to move into second, and 38 to move into first. As the seventh-year guard is under contract next season, she’ll have a clear shot to eclipse the franchise record, barring unforeseen circumstances.
Scoring (and winning) by committee
The Mystics are not a team with a certified offensive superstar, but that’s not necessarily a negative. Atkins leads the team in field goal attempts per game at 13.1– last amongst team leaders in the WNBA.
Bench firepower has become a necessity for Washington to compete. They’re second in the league in bench scoring at 25.6 points per game. In the first win against Dallas, the Mystics reserves combined for 51.
Washington also shies away from isolation-heavy hoops. Over 76% of their baskets are assisted, which is good for second place in the WNBA.
A collective approach to scoring may echo lineup inconsistencies that have plagued Washington’s season, but the team is starting to embrace change. Eight of twelve Mystics have started a game this year. Only three players have started every game: Atkins, Samuelson, and Stefanie Dolson.
Perhaps the lone negative of a group scoring effort lies in public recognition or lack thereof. Just one Mystic was in the top-30 of the initial All-Star fan voting return: rookie Aaliyah Edwards, in 26th place.
Half a game separates the Mystics from the stone-cold floor of the WNBA standings, so the team has bigger problems to worry about than All-Star voting. However, if the Mystics keep firing on all cylinders, this brief exhale may extend into something greater. Very steadily, .500 approaches.
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