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After a two-month search, the Washington Mystics have picked their new leaders. Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger announced the hiring of NBA senior vice president and head of player development Jamila Wideman as general manager and former Chicago Sky assistant Sydney Johnson as head coach on Monday.
Winger released a statement, via Mystics PR.
“Jamila’s breadth of experience, range of core competencies, and passion for developing the whole athlete, makes her the ideal person to usher in the new era of Mystics Basketball,” Winger said. “Together with her player connectivity, big picture vision, and intimate knowledge of the global scope of our game, we feel strongly that Jamila will be a bedrock for our athletes, coaches, and staff as they pursue another championship for the DMV.”
Washington won its only WNBA title in 2019 under former general manager and head coach Mike Thibault, the winningest coach in league history. Since then, though, the team has not won a playoff game despite qualifying three times. The franchise will depend on Wideman, who spent the last six years in her NBA role, to steer the ship back to the promised land.
Wideman brings a wealth of experience across multiple facets of the game. The former Los Angeles Spark was selected third overall by the team in the WNBA's inaugural 1997 draft class after leading Stanford basketball to three consecutive Final Four berths. She also played professionally in Israel and Spain before attending New York University Law School and serving as a criminal defense and civil rights lawyer for the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). In her most recent role with the NBA, she was the driving force behind Mind Health, the league's mental health and wellness platform.
Johnson sports a diverse skillset and background as well. The 50-year-old played for Princeton basketball from 1993-97 before becoming an assistant coach at Georgetown, head coach at Princeton and Fairfield, and then assisting for Air Force and the Sky. He has also helped USA Basketball over the past five years, most recently leading its 3×3 Women's AmeriCup team to a silver medal at the 2024 FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“Similarly, Sydney brings an exceptional combination of acumen, tenacity, and empathy that will elevate our play and galvanize the team around the new direction for this championship franchise,” Winger continued. “His deep love of basketball and passion for uplifting others make him a natural fit in our greater Monumental Basketball ecosystem.”
Will Wideman and Johnson bring Washington back to contention?
Mystics have pieces for new regime to work with
Washington begins its new era with a balance of reliable veterans, promising up-and-comers, and copious draft compensation. Two-time WNBA All-Star Ariel Atkins, who was on the Mystics' 2019 championship team, enters the last year of her contract in 2025. Ditto for two-time WNBA All-Defensive First Teamer Brittney Sykes and two-time All-Star Stefanie Dolson, who scored 12.2 and 9.5 points per game last season, respectively. Atkins led the team with 14.9.
Meanwhile, the 22-year-old Aaliyah Edwards has only scratched the surface of her potential after getting drafted sixth overall by Washington in 2024. The UConn alum led the Mystics with 5.6 rebounds per game last season and was second on the team with a 49% shooting clip from the floor.
Finally, Washington owns the fourth and sixth overall picks in the 2025 draft, which will be held in April. The Mystics have been projected to land the likes of 2023 second-team All-American Olivia Miles (Notre Dame point guard) and 2018 McDonald's All-American Sedona Prince (TCU center), via ESPN's Michael Voepel.
None of this guarantees success, though, as Wideman must hit on the draft picks as well as navigate the multiple expiring contracts on the roster. Furthermore, Johnson must develop the youngsters while simultaneously creating the right game plans for the veterans to have short-term success, as it'll be easier to convince them to re-sign if the team returns to the playoffs.
However, the Mystics' mixture of new leadership with old reliables on the roster provides them with a good opportunity to improve on a 14-26 campaign.