The Washington Mystics have their new leadership.
On Monday evening, the team announced they have hired Jamila Wideman as the new general manager, and Sydney Johnson as the team’s head coach.
They replace Mike and Eric Thibault, who were both fired after the Mystics went 14-26 this past summer, including an 0-12 start.
“Today’s appointments of Jamila and Sydney represent a pivotal moment for the Mystics and our fans — the best fans in the WNBA,” Ted Leonsis, Mystics owner and Monumental Sports & Entertainment chairman and CEO, said in a statement announcing the hires. “As I commemorate 20 years as owner of the Mystics in 2025, I am energized by the vision Michael, Jamila, and Sydney have for instilling and driving a culture of performance, achievement, empathy, and innovation for many years to come.”
Wideman has spent the last six years in the NBA league office, most recently as SVP of Player Development, overseeing player development initiatives including the league’s mental health and wellness plan.
On the court, she was a high school All-American who played at Stanford and was the No. 3 pick in the inaugural WNBA Draft in 1997, playing 84 games with three teams over four seasons in the league while also playing overseas in Israel and Spain.
Johnson, a Baltimore native, was an assistant coach with the Chicago Sky last year. The former Princeton star started his coaching career under John Thompson III at Georgetown in 2004, spending three seasons as an assistant there before becoming head coach at his alma mater from 2007-11.
He then spent eight seasons as the head coach at Fairfield, and has a 182-200 career record as a collegiate head coach. Johnson also spent one year as associate head coach at Air Force under Joe Scott – whom he succeeded as Princeton HC – and has been a scout and coach for USA Basketball as well.
“Jamila’s breadth of experience, range of core competencies, and passion for developing the whole athlete, makes her the ideal person to usher in the new era of Mystics Basketball,” team president Michael Winger said in the team statement. “Similarly, Sydney brings an exceptional combination of acumen, tenacity, and empathy that will elevate our play and galvanize the team around the new direction for this championship franchise.”