WASHINGTON — The Washington Mystics opened the season with hope to make their first playoff run since 2019 because of their young core. However, as the season went on and injuries prevailed, that young core showed why they might need more time before they can replicate that same energy from 2019.

Where did it go wrong?

Arguably, Washington's biggest downfall was trading Brittany Sykes to the Seattle Storm right before the trade deadline on Aug. 7 for Alysha Clark. Sykes averaged 15.4 points, 4.4 assists and 3.4 rebounds in just her 25 games with the Mystics. Sykes was their leading scorer besides rookie Sonia Citron, who averages 14.3 points per game.

The Mystics held a 14-17 record and were 10th in the standings, but they still had a chance to make playoffs. They were two wins away f

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