The Mystics have added some draft capital for their new regime, sending two-time All-Star guard Ariel Atkins to the Chicago Sky for the No. 3 pick in this year’s WNBA Draft, the Sky’s 2027 second-round pick, and the right to swap first-round picks in 2027 as well.
This deal gives the Mystics three picks in Top 6, at Nos. 3, 4, and 6, and continues to signal the team’s rebuild under new GM Jamila Wideman and coach Sydney Johnson.
“It's a great time if your plan is to draft, develop, nurture and compete," Wideman told ESPN about the deal. "The future of this game is bright. A lot of those lights are shining right now in college. You have to position yourself to become a destination for the best talent the game has to offer. We felt like this year and this year's draft was a tool we could use to do that.”
Atkins was part of the Mystics’ 2019 WNBA Championship Team after being selected No. 7 overall in 2018, and she has averaged 13.4 points and 3.0 rebounds for her career, earning those two All-Star nods and five All-Defensive Team selections. This is set to be the final year of her current deal.
The Mystics’ No. 4 pick was their own as a result of the WNBA Draft Lottery, and the No. 6 pick was acquired in April 2023 from Dallas (via Atlanta) for Stephanie Soares.