Established
1998
City
Washington D.C.
League History
1998 – Present / Women’s National Basketball Association
Team History
1998 – Present / Washington Mystics
Nickname
Mystics – The Washington Mystics have been a part of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) since 1998, and their name has become synonymous with success in the league. But what many fans may not know is that there’s an interesting story behind their nickname.
When the franchise was first established, it was known as “Washington Miracle” after its home city of Washington, D.C. Still, this name didn't stick for long due to its religious connotations, which some found inappropriate for a sports team. So, they decided to go with something more appropriate - The Mystics!
This new name pays homage to one of America's oldest cities. It celebrates both its rich history and culture by invoking images of mysticism associated with D.C.'s past: from ancient Native American spiritual beliefs about protection from evil forces through sacred symbols or rituals; to Freemasonry lodges where arcane knowledge was shared among members; up until today when people practice various forms such as tarot card readings or astrology to gain insight into their future paths in life!
In addition, The Mystics' colors are also symbolic – navy blue represents stability while gold symbolizes power – perfect colors for any championship-caliber team looking forward to achieving greatness on the court each season!
All these elements come together perfectly at every game day when thousands upon thousands chant out “Let’s Go Mysticssss!!!” during pre-game introductions or throughout timeouts - showing just how much pride DC residents take in having such an iconic WNBA franchise representing them across America & beyond!
Championship
WNBA Championships 1
2019
Arena
2019 - Present / St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena
1998 – 2018 / Capital One Arena
Owner
2005 – Present / Monumental Sports & Entertainment/Ted Leonsis
1998 – 2005 / Abe Pollin
- 1999
- 2015
- 2019
-
Mystics Team Formation
The Washington Mystics were one of the first WNBA expansion franchises to be established. Two teams were added in 1998 (Detroit and Washington) and two more in 1999 (Orlando and Minnesota), bringing the number of teams in the league up to twelve. -
Delle Donne Time
During the 2016 – 2017 off-season, the Mystics were busy in the trade market. With enough trade assets, they were determined to make a trade for a superstar player. First, on January 30, the team executed a three-way deal with the New York Liberty and Seattle Storm, sending Bria Hartley and Kia Vaughn to the Liberty and receiving the Storm’s ... -
WNBA Champions Mystics 2019
Meesseman returned in the 2019 WNBA season, and her return powered the Mystics towards achieving an unprecedented regular-season record of 26–8, leading the entire league in total wins and losses and earning them the top spot in the playoffs. With a dogged determination to come back to the Finals and high hopes that a Finals title would, at last, be ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Mystics
The Washington Mystics, home to some of the WNBA's greatest players, is a professional women’s basketball team based in the nation’s capital. They have been a part of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) since their inaugural season in 1998. The team, led by WNBA Greatest Players, has had an impressive history, with multiple playoff appearances and conference titles.
Since joining the WNBA, they have made it to seven postseasons and two Conference Finals series. In 2002, they won their first Eastern Conference title before winning another one in 2019 - making them just one of three teams that year who could do so! Additionally, they earned four divisional championships during this period and were named ‘Eastern Conference Team Of The Year’ twice by Sports Illustrated magazine (2002 & 2007).
In 2017 the Mystics drafted Elena Delle Donne, which was seen as a significant turning point for them; she quickly became an All-Star player and led her team through playoffs, where they eventually lost out against Minnesota Lynx in the semi-finals but not without putting up entirely fight! She continued to be a leader on the court even after the 2018 season when Kristi Toliver took over the role of head coach – something that would prove invaluable in helping take the franchise next level of success wise 2019 onwards, winning back–to–back East Championships and then following it up 2020 championship run and culminating victory Seattle Storm finals series thanks strong performances from players like Emma Meesseman Aerial Powers Natasha Cloud others too numerous mention here. As a result, Washington now holds the distinction of having the most successful runs any WNBA franchise has ever seen – genuinely remarkable considering how young the organization still is compared to its competitors' league!
Sports Fan Products
Retired Number
*Blue is this team’s history