When the Washington Mystics traded away Ariel Atkins in the offseason, it appeared the team was putting a pause on winning basketball for the time being. However, fast forward to now, and the Mystics are off to a 2-0 start to their season, currently sitting 2nd in the WNBA.

While it is still early in the season, Washington has shown signs of promise, surpassing expectations for a team integrating new pieces. The performances of their rookies has specially been a positive talking point for the team, with Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen feeling right at home in the W. Sonia shone through in their season opener against the Dream, scoring 19 point on 6/7 field goals. And then, Iriafen made sure to carry the load in the following game, registering 17 points & 14 rebounds against the Sun.

However, since a team cannot just rely on acquiring raw talent during a rebuild, the Mystics have also done a great job of retaining key veterans, and it’s reflecting in their sound start. Veteran Brittney Sykes has embraced her role in this otherwise young squad, providing crucial leadership and offensive production. Sykes led the team in scoring in both the wins (22 and 27 points, respectively). However, it was her clutch performance against the Sun that proved the value of her experience. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Mystics trailed the Sun by five points and needed Sykes to step up again. She did just that as she scored 9 points in the fourth to help her team secure the win.

While the players invariably remain the protagonists, the man behind the Mystics’ transformation is first-year head coach Sydney Johnson. Johnson has been involved in coaching roles for over 25 years, with the last job being assistant to Teresa Weatherspoon during her 2024 tenure. Johnson brings a wealth of coaching experience to Washington, having also made a name for himself in college basketball. So, after this dominant performance, it was natural that many began to rally behind him, calling him the best. But, wait, are we not forgetting someone? 

Just like Washington, Indiana has also gotten off to a great start. The Fever went through a revamp of their own in the offseason. And the biggest ask from them? They delivered on it well and good, with the team showcasing its defensive prowess as a whole. Following their 35-point win against the Chicago Sky, Coach White was expected to receive many plaudits for her team’s performance. However, her spotlight seems to have been stolen by Johnson.

WNBA community hails Sydney Johnson

One of the brightest points of Johnson’s arrival is his quick-hitting offense. While Kiki Iriafen shared “he wants to be able to score in the first eight seconds of the shot clock”, it appears to encapsulate a broader philosophy. It’s less about forcing a shot every time within that window and more about aggressive transition and encouraging faster decision-making upon entering the offensive half. This up-tempo style presents an exciting brand of basketball to the fans, having them wonder what Johnson has been up to.

“Idk what they are doing in practice but Kiki looks like Stanford Kiki, and Soni looks like last years tournament Soni. Just leveled up,” one fan posted on X. Well, this curiosity is much understandable. We have seen bigs like Caitlin Clark struggle to adapt in the league; however, Citron and Iriafen? They are not just scoring; they seem confident, and it is rare for college basketball stars to shine just as bright in the W. But we are watching Johnson’s system make it happen right before our eyes.

The victory run even made the fans take out their receipts, asking for answers from the coach’s doubters. “Definitely, and it is ironic because most of the Wnba media was saying he was a bad hire. Was telling them off for months” posted another fan. After a poor 2024 season for the Sky saw Teresa Weatherspoon being fired, her assistant getting hired for a head coach job was on nobody’s bingo cards. However, if you pay attention to Weatherspoon’s comments on him, you’ll understand why. “Sydney is an accomplished, experienced coach with a strong track record of winning and an exceptional focus on player development, defense, and analytics. He will be an incredible addition to the coaching staff.” she said. 

Anyway, there were doubters too, who credited the coach’s win to luck and injuries. “Mystics don’t win if Lelia Lecan, Annesah Morrow and Sanyia Rivers play that’s not even whataboutism”. While it is certain that the absence of these players meant the Connecticut Sun weren’t at their strongest, they still led the Mystics heading into the 4th and would have won without Johnson making the right rotations down the stretch. The fact they didn’t tells us something, doesn’t it?

Then came the Fever faithful, and it was clear that the chatter around Johnson didn’t sit too well with them, as they believed Stephanie White was more worthy of the attention. Pointing to the Fever’s strong start, a fan replied, “The fever won by 35 wit only 5 returning players.”

It’s true that Coach White has done an impressive job bringing cohesion to the Fever early in the season, but the context for each team’s coaching staff has been vastly different. In Indiana, there was this urgency because of the lofty expectations. So, the franchise threw everything at building a contender around their generational star, with championship ambitions front and center. In contrast, Washington is going through a rebuild, entering the season with an entirely different set of expectations. To put it into simple words, while the Fever’s strong start is certainly dominant, it’s not exactly surprising. The Mystics, however, are exceeding expectations — and earning praise across the league because of it. 

As the Mystics now look to continue their early form, challenges will present themselves from all corners of the WNBA. After all, no one is going to face them with half a mind now. But with a squad of fearless players and a coach who wants to play a thrilling brand of basketball, something delicious is cooking in Washington.