The Mystics cleaning house after a failed tank job won’t fix anything

by admin October 23, 2024

written by admin October 23, 2024

Photos of former general Manager Mike Thibault and head coach Eric Thibault of the Washington Mystics. (Photos by Steph Chamber/Getty Images and Kirby Lee/USA TODAY NETWORK)

The Washington Mystics likely won’t land Paige Bueckers after a failed tank job, and cleaning house will not fix much.

On Wednesday, Washington parted ways with general manager Mike Thibault and his son, head coach Eric Thibault. Eric’s departure is the fifth coach firing since the season ended just over a month ago, and Mike’s is the second general manager opening. But no one should be surprised that the Mystics are seemingly without direction and in a bit of disarray. The writing has been on the walls for quite some time.

Mike famously led Washington to a championship in 2019 as head coach, but failed to recapture any of that magic in the following three years — each of which saw the team finish under .500. When he retired from coaching in 2022 and moved into the front office, Eric took over. Sadly, things did not improve. The Mystics finished 19-21 in 2023.

However, all hope wasn’t entirely lost. There was a perceived optimism that Washington could rebuild and land potential No. 1 Draft pick Paige Bueckers in 2025. That meant committing to tanking the 2024 season. It’s possible Mike and Eric might have been on board with that plan, but the Mystics finished the year 14-26 (9th place) and ownership showed them the door.

How does a disconnect between leadership and ownership happen? It begins with missteps, including straining the relationship with a franchise player from the region.

After a messy offseason ordeal with Elena Delle Donne, which resulted in her sitting out in 2024, Washington needed someone to help push the team forward. Drafting Aaliyah Edwards was a solid start, but Edwards wasn’t quite ready for that pressure, and the Mystics’ maddening rotations didn’t help her develop as much as many thought she would.

Relying on other players like Brittney Sykes and Shakira Austin didn’t pan out, either.

Sykes, Austin and multiple Mystics players were injured for a good portion of the season, putting Washington in a hole early. That should have signaled the Thibaults to wave the white flag and look towards the 2025 draft. But then Washington went on a wild run, pushing for the postseason and seemingly playing itself right out of the best chance for a top draft pick.

As of the Thibaults’ exit, Washington owns pick No. 4 in next year’s draft, just outside a slot that could land them Bueckers. It’s possible she still lands in Washington, but the franchise would need to ask the basketball gods to work their magic during the WNBA Draft Lottery on November 17.

Moving on from the Thibaults is probably correct if Washington’s ownership feels the rebuild is still on and the team won’t be good in 2026 or 2027. This would put the franchise in a prime position to land someone like women’s college basketball star JuJu Watkins, who could alter the organization’s fabric for the better.

However, the Mystics’ direction is unclear, and removing the franchise’s general manager and head coach will not change that until everyone agrees on which path to take moving forward.