Despite Wednesday's two-point, 74-76 loss to the Golden State Valkyries, the Washington Mystics -- who missed the postseason

VanDerveer retired after the Cardinal’s Sweet 16 exit, and Iriafen returned home to Los Angeles, transferring to USC to join college basketball superstar Juju Watkins. She went on to earn all-Big Ten first-team honors this past season and helped lead the Trojans to an Elite Eight appearance.

Gottlieb was in attendance as Iriafen and the Washington Mystics took on the Golden State Valkyries in San Francisco.

Sykes dealt with the frustration of an injury-plagued 2024 season and has been the ideal leader for a young Mystics team so far.

The Washington Mystics lost to the Golden State Valkyries 76–74 at Chase Center on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, to fall to 2-1 on the season. Washington found itself in an early 11-4 hole before embarking on a 7-0 run to close the opening frame with a narrow 14-11 lead.

It’s been a fun start to the 2025 WNBA season, and yours truly has already hit five of six bets placed on the league heading into Wednesday’s three games slate.

The Washington Mystics aren’t expected to win many games this season, but their effort thus far hasn’t been in question. Rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen have already shown glimpses of a bright future in Washington.