The 2002 WNBA Draft was the first time when the Mystics had the third and fourth picks. And let’s say that none of those picks panned our for them while the players picked ahead were superstars.
Back in 2002, the Washington Mystics were sitting pretty with not one, but TWO top-4 picks in what was a stacked draft. Washington had the No. 3 and No. 4 picks, while the Seattle Storm had the No. 1 pick and were locked in on Connecticut guard Sue Bird. Then the Detroit Shock, now the Dallas Wings, had the No. 2 pick and were all in on selecting Connecticut forward Swin Cash.
Does this sound familiar? It should — because in 2025, Washington is back again with the No. 3 and No. 4 picks again, while a generational superstar, likely Connecticut guard Paige Bueckers, will be picked at No. 1. And who knows who the No. 2 pick will be?
What happened in 2002 when the Mystics last had the No. 3 and No. 4 picks?
In 2002, the Mystics drafted Oklahoma guard Stacey Dales at No. 3 and Connecticut forward Asjha Jones at #4. At the time, it felt like we nailed it. Dales was a two-time All-American and a leader at Oklahoma. Jones was fresh off an undefeated championship season with UConn as another top-level starter along with Bird and Cash. Fans were hopeful — these were supposed to be pieces to elevate Chamique Holdsclaw’s Mystics to contender status — even if they wished that they would have had Bird instead at No. 1.
But here’s the thing: they didn’t.
Dales gave Washington three okay seasons before ultimately having an early retirement. Later in her career, she played again for the Chicago Sky. Since her retirement from the WNBA, Dales has become better known for her broadcasting career, where she is a reporter on NFL Network.
Jones? She was a late bloomer of sorts, but never came to find her own with the Mystics. That was in part because she was Holdsclaw’s backup for two seasons.
Eventually, Jones was traded to the Connecticut Sun in 2004 where she ultimately began to blossom under then-head coach Mike Thibault (yes, the same Mike Thibault who led the Mystics from 2013-24 and led Washington to a WNBA championship in 2019), playing on two WNBA Finals teams in 2004 and 2005 while with the Sun, being a two-time WNBA All-Star in Connecticut, making the 2012 USA Basketball women’s national team for the Olympics and finishing her career with a WNBA championship in 2015 with the Minnesota Lynx.
Meanwhile, Sue Bird wasn’t just good in Seattle — she was a culture-setter, a four-time WNBA champion, the league’s all-time assists leader, and one of the greatest players of all time. The Mystics watched from the sidelines as Bird turned the Storm into a dynasty. The Storm weren’t an exceptionally reputable franchise before Bird got drafted. Now, the Storm is one of the premier organizations in the WNBA. And Bird can arguably be called the GOAT in the league. She is the Storm’s all-time leading scorer, assister and more.
Let’s not forget about Cash, who was a four-time WNBA All-Star, a three-time WNBA champion, and a 2012 Olympian for Team USA herself while playing for Detroit, then the Storm with Bird, before moving on as a journeywoman to several other teams. Her playing career is not as strong as Bird’s but still very strong nevertheless.
How does 2002 relate to today?
Fast forward to today. The Mystics are staring at the same puzzle: they have the No. 3 and No 4 picks (and they have the No. 6 pick as well). But the media is still hyping this draft where there is a surefire No. 1 pick.
If Bueckers becomes a perennial All-Star — are we really ready to watch another Sue Bird situation unfold, this time from our own couches while another team reaps the reward?
Yes, you can argue that two top-5 (and three top-6) picks could still bring in good players. Maybe even an All-Star.
But history tells us that TWO top-4 picks didn’t equal ONE Sue Bird. The Mystics only had one All-Star (Dales in 2002), because Jones didn’t hit her stride until after leaving the Mystics. And let’s not forget — teams win titles with superstars, not depth charts filled with “solid” players. That has been something Washington has perennially lacked for most of its franchise history.
So, should the Mystics simply accept their likely fate? Not necessarily.
This isn’t to say that Washington MUST mortgage the entire future. But if there’s even a whisper of a chance to move up to No. 1, the front office owes it to this fanbase to explore it. Because if we stand pat, and Bueckers becomes close to what Bird became, I don’t think Mystics fans, who have already lived through this exact nightmare, can stomach watching it happen again.
After all, the 2025 WNBA Draft shouldn’t be only thing that is on Monumental Basketball President and Mystics General Manager Jamila Wideman’s minds. They must also wonder what the 2026 WNBA super free agency bonanza will look like. A Mystics team with no superstar and an unproven front office in 2025 will likely mean they will also miss out on making any major improvements 2026.
And if someone thinks that the Mystics can just afford to tank for four or five years straight, it won’t be so simple because of the amount of WNBA expansion that will happen in the years ahead. Washington will likely have to TRY to suck despite expansion teams. And that won’t be a good look for anyone.
In short, 2002 could have been Washington’s shining moment if the draft lottery went a different way. Washington can’t afford to get 2025 wrong, regardless of what they do with their draft picks.