The Washington Mystics started off their preseason games by losing to the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream. Head Coach Sydney Johnson was critical about his team’s loss against the Fever and said, “We’re learning how to play fast, and that’s going to come with some mistakes. Against Indiana, we had 22 turnovers, which is too many, but I saw our aggression and pace. We need to clean up the ball security, but the intent is there.” The Mystics’ pre-season woes were not limited to their losses, as major roster problems were already making things difficult for the team.
Washington has already been missing two impactful players due to injuries during the training camp. Georgia Amoore sustained an ACL injury while Aaliyah Edwards was sidelined due to a lower back contusion. Both players were number six overall picks for the Mystics over the last 2 drafts. Edwards had a good season as a rotational player for the Mystics during her rookie season last year and was looking forward to having a more impactful season in 2025. Let’s take a look at the Mystics’ injury report to find out what their playing status looks like for the upcoming future.
Mystics Injury Report – Will we see a quick return for Edwards and Amoore?
The Washington Mystics announced on Friday that their 6th overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft, Georgia Amoore, has undergone a successful ACL surgery and will not participate in the 2025 season. The statement read, “Washington Mystics guard Georgia Amoore underwent successful surgery to repair a right ACL injury. She will miss the 2025 WNBA season.” Although it seems like a setback for the Kentucky guard, her surgery finishing without any repercussions should be taken as a positive sign, as she will be looking to make a healthy recovery and rejoin the team next year to showcase her talent.
In the same report, the Mystics gave reassuring news regarding the second year forward, Aaliyah Edwards. The statement read, “Forward Aaliyah Edwards, who had been diagnosed with a low back contusion, has been cleared to resume on-court activities. She will be re-evaluated in approximately two (2) weeks.” Edwards started 17th games for the Mystics last season and was a reliable role player for the team. After being cleared for on-court activities, she has a high chance of being able to resume playing after 2 weeks when she is re-examined.
Following the absence of the two players, the Mystics did not look as confident in the preseason games, losing out to the Atlanta Dream in their last preseason match. However, the Mystics had a chance for redemption against the Dream during their season opener. Let us see how they fared in the game.
How did the Washington Mystics do in their season opener?
The Washington Mystics defeated the Atlanta Dream 94-90 in the season opener on May 16th. It was a tightly fought match, and the Mystics managed to outplay the Dream in the second half of the match. Head Coach Johnson was proud of his team’s efforts and noted, “We wanted to play fast and keep pressure on them defensively, and I think we did that in the fourth quarter to pull away. It’s one game, but it shows what this group can do when we’re locked in.”
Although it was an all-around effort of the team, the player who stood out the most was Sonia Citron, the rookie out of Notre Dame, who came in clutch in the fourth quarter. Sonia scored 19 points, out of which 15 were scored in the second half of the game. She also made the last two free throws of the game to give Atlanta the four-point lead and seal their win. “The energy in the arena was unreal. Hitting those free throws at the end was big for me, just staying calm under pressure. This team has a lot of heart.” Citron said after the game.
Citron, along with Brittney Sykes and Kiki Iriafen put up 55 points to overcome outstanding performances by Dream’s Allisha Gray and Brittney Griner. Assistant coach Emre Vatansever commended the team’s performance by saying, “Our offensive strategy was to keep moving and find open looks, especially in crunch time. The players executed the game plan well, and it’s a good foundation to build on.” This is just a stepping stone to the tough year in front of the Mystics as they try and prove their status in the league. Let us see how well they play in the upcoming games.
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