Picking at six…Washington has some options to choose from to help them rebuild.
DISCLAIMER: The following predictions are based on the Washington Mystics keeping their sixth overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Predictions include players who have declared for the draft, are a senior and/or forgoing their last year of eligibility that was awarded during COVID.
It’s that wonderful time of year before the WNBA season begins…the WNBA Draft. On Monday, April 15, 36 women will have their lives changed forever and be drafted potentially being part of the WNBA. The Washington Mystics have the sixth overall pick and haven’t shown any reason to trade up or down since they are in rebuild mode and it would be wise to draft someone they’ll keep now and in the future.
Washington finished the 2023 season with a record of 19-21 as a seventh seed making the playoffs. They lost to the New York Liberty 2-0 in the first round. During the off-season, the Mystics lost Natasha Cloud to the Phoenix Mercury in free agency. Also Elena Delle Donne announced she was taking a break from basketball and didn’t sign the one-year super max Washington offered.
The Mystics have no choice but to move forward and focus on the present and future. Based on needs, the Mystics should go for a true point guard that brings overall abilities on both sides of the ball or a big that can complement Shakira Austin in the post.
Washington must think longevity, so here are four predictions for the Mystics to grab at six:
Player: Jacy Sheldon
School: Ohio State (Buckeyes)
Position: Guard
A guard that should be on the Mystics radar is Jacy Sheldon out of Ohio State. Sheldon has the offensive grit and defensive awareness that Washington could be looking for. In her final season with Ohio State, Sheldon averaged 17.8 points, 3.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds a game. She also averaged 1.9 steals a game. Sheldon could be the missing piece that once was filled by Cloud.
She helped the Buckeyes get to a 26-6 record, 16-2 in conference play, and made the NCAA Tournament despite losing to Maryland in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten women’s tournament. Sheldon made Second-team All American as well. Her overall career consisted of a shooting percentage of 49.2 and 35 percent from three-point range.
Player: Angel Reese
School: LSU (Tigers)
Position: Forward
To be realistic if Angel Reese, the “Bayou Barbie”, is available it would be wise for Washington to grab her. Reese is from Baltimore, MD which is a little under a hour from D.C. which allows her to be close to home and give the Mystics some more viewership and additional dominance in the post. Reese is a notable player that makes her presence known on and off the court.
On the court, Reese averaged 18.6 points and 12.3 rebounds in her college career. She spent her first two seasons at Maryland and final two at LSU. In her junior season, she notched 23 points per game and 15.4 rebounds while also averaging 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks a game helping lead LSU to a championship title in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Reese was named the 2023 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
Washington could easily, drafting Reese, have one of the best front court duos in the league alongside Shakira Austin. Both Reese and Austin could cause a problem for opponents while crashing the boards. Offensively, Reese could shoot better percentage wise despite being an elite rebounder. Grabbing boards is one thing, but offensively can you make a difference?
Player: Aaliyah Edwards
School: UConn (Huskies)
Position: Forward
Versatility…that’s what the Mystics will get from Aaliyah Edwards. Edwards has proven and shown with the Huskies she has what it takes to compete in the WNBA. She has the skill and build to take on other bigs. Edwards could be the missing power forward that Washington needs since Delle Donne is out indefinitely.
From freshman year to her senior year at UConn, Edwards has constantly improved her game. In her last year at UConn, Edwards averaged 17.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and shot 59.3 percent from the floor. Her final game in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament against Iowa, Edward’s scored 17 points, grabbed eight rebounds, had five steals and one block.
A slight flaw Edwards could work on are turnovers, but that can be managed easily with time and consistency. She’s truly an athletic post player that can also space the floor and adapt to any role.
Player: Charisma Osborne
School: UCLA (Bruins)
Position: Guard
Charisma Osborne is the next best guard on the board with strong athleticism and a ball hawk on defense. Osborne, playing five years at UCLA, had career-highs in shooting percentage (41) and free-throw percentage (89.2) in her final year. She even raised her assists to four per game. Defensively, Osborne had 1.6 steals per game. She’s clearly still growing her game.
Improvement is improvement no matter the pace, but if Washington were to draft Osborne, they’d get a good defensive guard that can go at it. She will have some hard moments of pressure as will anyone trying to make a roster spot on a team of 12, but Osborne has the mental capacity and strength to prove her worth on any team, including Washington. She finished her career at UCLA averaging 14.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals a game.