Last Updated on August 31, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

The Washington Mystics 2024 relied on Ariel Atkins as their primary scoring threat, while Brittney Sykes provided all-around production and Julie Vanloo directed the offense as the team’s leading playmaker. Stefanie Dolson stretched the floor effectively from the perimeter for a center and anchored the rebounding, with Shakira Austin adding an interior presence when available. Washington showed balanced contributions across the roster but lacked consistent offensive firepower, contributing to a below-average scoring attack despite respectable ball movement and solid defensive effort.

Roster

NO. PLAYER NAME POS. HT. WT. DATE OF BIRTH COLLEGE
0 Shakira Austin C 6-5 200 July 25, 2000 Maryland, Ole Miss
1 Sug Sutton G 5-8 140 December 17, 1998 Texas
2 Myisha Hines-Allen F 6-2 200 May 30, 1995 Louisville
3 Sika Koné F 6-3 180 July 13, 2002 —
5 Jade Melbourne G 5-10 145 August 18, 2002 —
7 Ariel Atkins G 5-10 167 July 30, 1996 Texas
12 DiDi Richards G-F 6-2 164 February 8, 1999 Baylor
13 Jakia Brown-Turner G 6-0 — February 11, 2001 NC State, Maryland
20 Brittney Sykes G 5-11 152 February 7, 1994 Syracuse
21 Emily Engstler F 6-1 184 May 1, 2000 Syracuse, Louisville
24 Aaliyah Edwards F 6-3 206 July 9, 2002 UConn
31 Stefanie Dolson C 6-5 235 January 8, 1992 UConn
32 Shatori Walker-Kimbrough G 5-9 140 May 18, 1995 Maryland
35 Julie Vanloo G 5-8 — February 10, 1993 —
44 Karlie Samuelson G 6-0 159 May 10, 1995 Stanford

Per Game

Player POS AGE GP GS MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG TOV FGA FGM FG% 3PA 3PM 3P% FTA FTM FT%
Ariel Atkins — 27 40 40 29.9 14.9 3.4 3.1 1.5 0.4 2.3 12.4 5.4 .437 5.5 2.0 .357 2.5 2.1 .848
Stefanie Dolson — 32 39 39 26.0 9.5 4.9 2.6 0.5 0.5 1.7 7.2 3.4 .475 4.0 1.8 .465 1.1 0.8 .786
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough — 29 40 2 22.1 7.5 1.7 1.9 1.1 0.5 1.4 6.3 2.6 .415 2.7 0.9 .330 1.7 1.4 .806
Julie Vanloo — 31 40 34 23.2 7.4 1.6 4.3 0.5 0.0 2.6 7.7 2.7 .346 5.6 1.8 .324 0.4 0.3 .667
Aaliyah Edwards — 21 34 17 21.8 7.6 5.6 1.4 0.7 0.8 1.5 6.2 3.0 .490 0.2 0.0 .000 2.4 1.5 .650
Karlie Samuelson — 29 29 19 24.5 8.4 2.6 2.1 0.9 0.0 0.9 6.7 2.7 .409 4.2 1.7 .398 1.3 1.2 .923
Brittney Sykes — 30 18 18 23.3 12.2 4.1 3.1 0.9 0.4 2.2 11.1 4.5 .405 3.3 0.9 .271 3.1 2.3 .750
Myisha Hines-Allen — 29 27 10 19.1 8.0 4.9 2.7 0.6 0.1 1.4 6.5 3.2 .489 1.4 0.5 .359 1.3 1.1 .829
Shakira Austin — 23 12 11 19.8 11.8 6.8 0.9 1.3 0.9 2.4 10.1 4.3 .430 0.3 0.1 .250 4.5 3.0 .667
Emily Engstler — 24 32 3 14.5 6.2 4.0 1.5 0.6 0.8 0.7 4.8 2.4 .494 1.8 0.8 .474 0.7 0.6 .818
Jade Melbourne — 21 37 0 14.2 5.4 1.5 1.6 0.6 0.1 1.7 4.5 1.9 .434 1.5 0.5 .357 1.3 0.9 .714
Sika Koné — 21 10 0 16.0 8.6 4.3 1.1 0.4 0.2 0.9 6.7 2.9 .433 0.7 0.4 .571 2.7 2.4 .889
DiDi Richards — 25 19 7 10.4 2.4 1.5 0.7 0.1 0.2 0.4 2.6 1.1 .400 0.2 0.0 .000 0.7 0.3 .429
Sug Sutton — 25 7 0 7.3 0.6 0.6 1.4 0.3 0.0 0.7 1.0 0.3 .286 0.6 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0  
Jakia Brown-Turner — 23 2 0 4.0 1.0 0.5 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.0 .000 0.0 0.0   1.0 1.0 1.000

HeatingUp Impact Index: Team Impact Spotlight

Player Name Role Tier MPG Usage Tier PPG RPG APG STK (SPG + BPG) Impact Index Notes Awards
Ariel Atkins Starter/Star 29.9 High 14.9 3.4 3.1 1.9 61.25 Atkins became Washington’s offensive anchor after the offseason roster overhaul, carrying a heavier creation load while still taking the toughest perimeter defensive assignments. Even through the team’s difficult start, coaches leaned on her consistency and leadership at both ends. (The Washington Post) WNBA All-Star (2024)
Brittney Sykes Starter/Star 23.3 High 12.2 4.1 3.1 1.3 54.91 Before a prolonged foot injury interrupted her season, Sykes was the engine of Washington’s transition game and point-of-attack defense. Her absence forced the Mystics to reshuffle the backcourt, underscoring how central her pace and defensive pressure had become. (The Washington Post) None
Stefanie Dolson Starter/Star 26.0 Medium 9.5 4.9 2.6 1.0 43.08 Dolson’s ability to stretch the floor fundamentally changed Washington’s spacing, as she posted one of the best three-point shooting seasons by a center in franchise history. Her passing from the high post also helped stabilize a young offense. (swishappeal.com) None
Shakira Austin Starter/Star 19.8 Medium 11.8 6.8 0.9 2.2 52.03 Austin showed flashes of being Washington’s long-term interior centerpiece before injuries again limited her availability. When healthy, she protected the rim, finished efficiently and gave the Mystics a far more dynamic presence around the basket. (The Washington Post) None
Julie Vanloo Starter/Star 23.2 Medium 7.4 1.6 4.3 0.5 33.15 The Belgian rookie quickly earned Eric Thibault’s trust by organizing the offense under difficult circumstances. Her willingness to shoot from deep and keep the ball moving helped steady an inexperienced rotation during long injury stretches. None
Karlie Samuelson Key Contributor 24.5 Low 8.4 2.6 2.1 0.9 29.40 Samuelson settled naturally into a movement-shooting role before a broken finger interrupted her momentum. Her spacing proved especially valuable because Washington often struggled to generate half-court offense without her. (The Washington Post) None
Aaliyah Edwards Key Contributor 21.8 Low 7.6 5.6 1.4 1.5 33.81 Edwards’ physical rebounding and defensive activity translated immediately as a rookie, though observers noted she was still developing confidence as a half-court scorer. Her growth over the second half of the season became one of Washington’s biggest positives. (swishappeal.com) WNBA All-Rookie Team (2024)
Myisha Hines-Allen Key Contributor 19.1 Low 8.0 4.9 2.7 0.7 34.23 Hines-Allen again filled multiple frontcourt roles before being moved at midseason, providing rebounding, passing and lineup flexibility whenever injuries forced adjustments. (Wikipedia) None
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough Key Contributor 22.1 Low 7.5 1.7 1.9 1.6 26.04 Walker-Kimbrough embraced another reserve scoring role, giving Washington dependable energy and perimeter shooting without needing many touches. Her defensive activity remained valuable throughout the year. None
Sika Koné Bench 16.0 Low 8.6 4.3 1.1 0.6 29.20 Koné supplied athleticism and offensive rebounding after arriving during the season, though independent coverage of her individual role remained limited because of her short stint with the club. None
Emily Engstler Bench 14.5 Low 6.2 4.0 1.5 1.4 26.20 Engstler quietly became one of Washington’s most versatile reserve defenders, with analysts praising her improved help defense, passing and perimeter shooting during the season. None
Jade Melbourne Bench 14.2 Low 5.4 1.5 1.6 0.7 18.40 Melbourne handled increased ball-handling duties as injuries mounted, bringing pace and composure despite being one of the youngest guards on the roster. None
DiDi Richards Bench 10.4 Low 2.4 1.5 0.7 0.3 9.80 Richards carved out minutes through defensive effort and versatility rather than scoring. Independent reporting on her individual season remained limited because she filled a specialist role. None
Sug Sutton Bench 7.3 Low 0.6 0.6 1.4 0.3 5.80 Sutton provided emergency depth at point guard late in the season. Contemporary independent coverage of her contributions was limited due to her small role. None
Jakia Brown-Turner Bench 4.0 Low 1.0 0.5 0.0 0.5 4.00 Brown-Turner appeared only briefly before leaving the roster, leaving very little independent season-specific reporting beyond transaction coverage. None
Washington Mystics Totals — 314.1 — 124.1 48.5 26.7 14.5 461.50 Washington recovered from an 0-12 start to remain in the playoff race until the final week, with injuries to Brittney Sykes, Shakira Austin and Karlie Samuelson shaping much of the season while veterans and rookies steadily improved together. Missed WNBA Playoffs (2024)