That makes sense because Sykes was their leading scorer and assister, averaging 15.4 points and 4.4 assists per game. She was also named a WNBA All-Star for the first time in her career this season.
“You don’t replace what Slim brought to the table overnight,” Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson told reporters on Aug. 15, referring to Sykes by her nickname.
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But if you look beyond the record, a lot hasn’t changed about how the Mystics are playing without Sykes and two other players who helped them exceed expectations earlier in the season. The Mystics also parted ways with reserve forwards Sika Koné, who was waived as part of the Sykes trade, and Aaliyah Edwards, who was traded in a separate deal on Aug. 7. Koné had played in 11 games this season and was averaging 6.7 minutes. Edwards was averaging 6.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game.
Not having those three players “doesn’t change how I look at [the Mystics] at all,” Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon told reporters before facing the Mystics on Saturday, adding that they play “extremely hard.”
“It’s still the same team in what they’re trying to do,” Los Angeles Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts told reporters on Aug. 17. “… Same coach, same system, just maybe a little different pieces.”
What looks the same
Several of the Mystics’ statistics look similar before and since the Sykes trade, according to data from WNBA Stats. (Unless otherwise hyperlinked, all data in this story is from WNBA Stats.)
Offensively, the Mystics are scoring nearly the same number of points per game: 78.8 in 28 games before the trade and 78.5 in 10 games since. Their 3-point attempts and turnover rate have also been relatively stable.
Defensively, they are allowing about the same number of points per game and averaging the same number of steals per game, even though Sykes was their top perimeter defender.
Before Sykes trade (28 games*)Since Sykes trade (10 games)DifferencePoints scored per game78.878.5-0.3Points allowed per game80.781.60.93-point attempts per game16.617.00.4Steals per game6.66.60.0Rebounding rate51.3%52.1%0.8Turnover rate19.4%19.9%0.5* Includes three games that Sykes missed due to injury. Source: WNBA Stats
How the offense has changed
The Mystics’ offense has been up and down since Sykes was traded. For example, the Mystics scored 95 points in a win over the Sparks on Aug. 17 that was huge for their playoff hopes. Then they failed to reach 70 points in consecutive losses against the Connecticut Sun, who had already been eliminated from playoff contention. They responded by scoring 81 points in a loss to Las Vegas, who has been the WNBA’s hottest team lately.
Overall, though, the Mystics have improved offensively since they traded Sykes. That isn’t visible in their points per game, but it is in their offensive efficiency. The Mystics were scoring 97.8 points per 100 possessions before the trade and have improved to 101.0 since. Their field goal percentage has also increased from 43.5% to 47.7%.
Those improvements aren’t an indictment of Sykes’ offense. Instead, they reflect how the Mystics have focused on offense more since the All-Star break after prioritizing defense earlier in the season.
“All of the hard work that the players are putting in with our coaches in terms of the reads, the film work, the on-court reps … now it goes in the games,” Johnson said on Aug. 17. “And … they’re just seeing things in a way that maybe was a little bit newer in the first 10, 15 games.”
Washington Mystics forward Alysha Clark (32) looks to pass the ball during a game against the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Aug. 21, 2025. (Photo credit: Chris Poss | The Next)
What the Mystics are looking for offensively has also changed somewhat without Sykes. Sykes often had the ball in her hands, especially late in games, and she could reliably drive to the basket and create her own shot if the offense got stuck. Before the trade, she ranked third among WNBA guards in points in the paint and second overall in free-throw attempts per game. That helped the Mystics lead the league in free throws made, free throws attempted and fouls drawn per game.
Without Sykes, rookie guard Sonia Citron is the top option, and rookie forward Kiki Iriafen is also getting more touches. They are getting valuable experience making plays with the game on the line, often against opponents’ top defenders.
“They’re the main point of emphasis in the scout, so they’re getting double-teamed, they’re getting trapped,” point guard Jade Melbourne told The Next on Aug. 19. “… We rely heavily on them, but they’ve been unbelievable. They continue to adjust, watch film [and] get better.”
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Without Sykes, the Mystics are looking to move the ball quickly and create advantages that way. Their free throws made and attempted per game have decreased, though they still rank in the top two in both categories since the trade. And their assist rate has increased from 66.9% to 71.4%, jumping from eighth to third in the league.
Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron (22) dribbles the ball during a game against the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Aug. 21, 2025. (Photo credit: Chris Poss | The Next)
“Slim bailed us out at times, a good number of times,” Johnson said on Sunday. “We’re creating offense together, and it’s a little bit more team flow 1756395127 because it has to be. But it also is allowing these players to develop the team concepts and the reads in a way where they’re not taking on the whole world at drawing two defenders and getting off [the ball]. …
“So it might not be always at the free-throw line and in the paint, but it is a high-quality shot, and that’s what we’ve tried to pivot towards. And it’s been pretty solid.”
How the defense has changed
Though the Mystics are allowing a similar number of points per game before and since the trade, their defensive efficiency has decreased without Sykes. Before the trade, they allowed 100.8 points per 100 possessions; since the trade, that’s up to 105.8. Opponents are shooting better against them and turning the ball over less.
“First half of the season, I thought our defense was above average and our offense was below average,” Johnson said on Aug. 21. “… Now, it’s almost flip-flopping.”
One of the biggest challenges without Sykes has been slowing down some of the league’s best players. And it’s not solely at the guard position, where Citron and Alysha Clark — who was acquired in the Sykes trade — can handle the top matchups Sykes previously took.
Just since Aug. 13, Indiana Fever forward/center Aliyah Boston, Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, Sparks forward Dearica Hamby and Sun center Tina Charles have each scored 20 or more points against the Mystics on better than 60% shooting. Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton, Aces center A’ja Wilson and Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike have each scored 30 or more.
Johnson has used different schemes, shown lots of film and rotated the matchups to try to contain opponents’ top scorers. But his roster is still inexperienced, with three of the 10 youngest players in the WNBA and five of the 30 youngest. Johnson has seen the young players, particularly Citron and Iriafen, get more reps and anticipate more things defensively. But it’s been a work in progress, especially without Sykes and as other teams find their late-season form.
Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles (31) shoots over Washington Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen (44) during a game at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Aug. 21, 2025. (Photo credit: Chris Poss | The Next)
Which players have stepped up most
Several players have contributed more on the stat sheet since Sykes’ departure. Citron was the second-leading scorer before the trade at 14.3 points per game, but she has increased that to 17.8 per game over the past 10 games. On Aug. 19, she broke the franchise’s rookie record for points in a season, which had stood since 1999.
Citron has taken about 1.6 more shots per game in Sykes’ absence, but she has also been more efficient. Since the trade, she is shooting 51.2% overall and 59.0% from 3-point range.
Similarly, point guard Sug Sutton was the second-leading assister before the trade at 3.2 per game. But she has averaged 5.5 assists since then in just four more minutes per game.
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Meanwhile, Iriafen has increased her scoring from 12.2 to 15.0 points per game. She has taken the same number of shots per game but has been more efficient and gotten to the free-throw line slightly more. She has also increased her rebounding from 8.3 to 10.0 per game.
On Saturday, Iriafen had 21 points and 15 rebounds against the Aces, becoming the fifth Mystic ever to hit those totals. A day later, she set the Mystics’ single-season rebounding record — for all players, not just rookies — with 332 in 38 games.
“I’m just getting smarter,” Iriafen told reporters after a win over Indiana on Aug. 15. “So I’m understanding certain reads more. Or our coaches might have us run something, but if I see a breakdown or a mismatch, I’m able to recognize that a lot more than earlier on in the season. I was kind of a robot on train tracks, [following] whatever they told me to do. So I think it’s just, we’ve been playing a lot more. We’re kind of used to what this league is like.”
Without Edwards and Koné, the Mystics have four full-time frontcourt players, which has provided more minutes and predictable rotations for players like reserve forward Emily Engstler and veteran center Stefanie Dolson. At 6’1, Engstler has played the three, four and five positions this season, looking to get on the court anywhere she could. Since the Sykes trade, her minutes have increased from 11.0 per game to 17.1. She also played at least 23 minutes in three straight games when starting center Shakira Austin was injured in mid-August.
Washington Mystics forward Emily Engstler (21) blocks a 3-pointer by Dallas Wings guard/forward Kaila Charles (3) during a game at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C., on June 22, 2025. (Photo credit: Domenic Allegra | The Next)
Engstler’s production has increased alongside her minutes: She is averaging 6.0 points per game since the trade, more than doubling her previous average of 2.8. She is also contributing 1.3 more steals and 0.5 more blocks per game. And she has earned a reputation for blocking jump shots, with 10 of her 25 blocks this season coming on midrange jump shots or 3-pointers.
“Her being able to adapt, it’s been incredible,” Dolson told The Next on Saturday. “I think from last season to this season, she’s grown in her confidence. And I think she just knows what she brings to a team, which is just her energy, her rebounding, her athleticism. I mean, she’s probably leading the league in … jump-shot blocks.”
Dolson endured an extremely slow start to the season, shooting just 30.0% from the field and 20.5% from 3-point range through her first 20 games. But she has been vital as a leader for the team all season, and she has found her shooting stroke since the trade. In her last nine games, she is shooting 63.6% from the field and 73.3% from 3-point range.
“A lot of times you see one go in, and it helps a lot,” Dolson said. “… It kind of makes you feel good. And [also] … I just don’t care. I’m just trying to shoot to shoot. And I think that that helps a lot of shooters make them when you start to not be so tense.”
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How will the Mystics close the season?
The Mystics’ slump after trading Sykes decreased their odds of making the playoffs to just 0.6% as of Tuesday. That might seem disappointing after they were in seventh place at the All-Star break with an 11-11 record. But they haven’t talked much about the playoffs all season. Instead, their guiding principle continues to be development, of the younger players and veterans alike.
“Are we better as a team now than the first day we came together?” Johnson said on Aug. 21. “And I would say, as a whole, yes. And then are players better individually? Are they being able to get a little bit of an expansion of their role and in different places on the court? … Check, check, check. So for us, it’s never stopped being about development, and I really feel confident that we’re delivering on that.”
Because of that goal, the Mystics’ motivation won’t change for the rest of the season, whether they’re in the playoff race until the final day or they get eliminated in their next game. They’ll keep playing extremely hard — and maybe even play spoiler for teams higher in the standings.
“As much as anything, we just want to show people who we are,” Johnson said on Sunday. “… We have a whole lot to play for because we do think that we’ve made some pretty good strides. We do think we’ve gotten a lot out of the season. And why not finish strong?”
Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the group that owns the Washington Mystics, holds a minority stake in The Next. The Next’s editorial operations are entirely independent of Monumental and all other business partners.