2023 Washington Mystics season

The 2023 Washington Mystics season was the franchise's 26th season in the Women's National Basketball Association, and their first season under head coach Eric Thibault.

On November 15, 2022, the Mystics announced that former head coach Mike Thibault would be retiring from the coaching side of basketball. He would still retain his General Manager title. They also announced that assistant coach Eric Thibault would be promoted to head coach for the Mystics.

The Mystics earned the fourth overall pick in the 2023 WNBA draft through the Draft Lottery system. They entered the lottery with the third best odds, but fell one spot.

The Mystics started the season off with a win, but then lost their next two games, which were both against Connecticut. After winning their final game, they finished May with a 2–2 record. June began with the Mystics winning three of the first four games. The lost a game before going on a three-game winning streak. They finished the season losing two of their last three games and ended June with a 7–4 record. The team lost two of their first four games in July, before losing five of their last six. They finished July with a 3–7 record. They won their first game in August before a three-game losing streak. They won their next two, but then lost to games, before winning two more games. A loss in the final game of August saw the team finish with a 5–6 record in the month. The Mystics entered September in the hunt for one of the final playoff spots. They began September with a loss, but secured their playoff spot with a win on September 5. They lost their penultimate game of the season, but won their final game to secure the seventh seed.

As the seventh seed in the 2023 WNBA Playoffs they faced off against the second seed New York Liberty. In the first game, New York won by fifteen points, 90–75. Needed to win to keep the series alive, the Mystics forced overtime in New York, but were unable to finish with a win, and lost 85–90 to end their season. This was the second straight season qualifying for the playoffs, and the sixth playoff appearance in seven years for the Mystics.

WNBA draft

 * Soares was traded on Draft Day to the Dallas Wings in exchange for a future 2024 second-round pick and 2025 first-round draft pick (via Atlanta)

Preseason

 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 1
 * May 5
 * @ Minnesota
 * 69–72
 * Tianna Hawkins (14)
 * Stephanie Jones (9)
 * Natasha Cloud (7)
 * Target Center 5,001
 * 0–1
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 2
 * May 10
 * Atlanta
 * W 88–76
 * Elena Delle Donne (17)
 * Tianna Hawkins (10)
 * Natasha Cloud (5)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 3,612
 * 1–1

Regular Season

 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 1
 * May 19
 * New York
 * W 80–64
 * Atkins Cloud (14)
 * Brittney Sykes (9)
 * Natasha Cloud (6)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 4,200
 * 1–0
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 2
 * May 21
 * @ Connecticut
 * L 74–80
 * Shakira Austin (21)
 * Austin Delle Donne (11)
 * Natasha Cloud (6)
 * Mohegan Sun Arena 7,048
 * 1–1
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 3
 * May 23
 * Connecticut
 * L 81–88
 * Elena Delle Donne (27)
 * Shakira Austin (8)
 * Delle Donne Sykes (4)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 3,383
 * 1–2
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 4
 * May 26
 * @ Chicago
 * W 71–69
 * Elena Delle Donne (25)
 * Shakira Austin (10)
 * Natasha Cloud (7)
 * Wintrust Arena 7,304
 * 2–2


 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 5
 * June 2
 * Dallas
 * W 75–74
 * Elena Delle Donne (23)
 * Shakira Austin (11)
 * Natasha Cloud (8)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 3,294
 * 3–2
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 6
 * June 3
 * Minnesota
 * L 78–80
 * Ariel Atkins (18)
 * Shakira Austin (10)
 * Natasha Cloud (9)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 3,534
 * 3–3
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 7
 * June 9
 * @ Seattle
 * W 73–66
 * Brittney Sykes (18)
 * Shakira Austin (11)
 * Ariel Atkins (6)
 * Climate Pledge Arena 8,397
 * 4–3
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 8
 * June 11
 * @ Seattle
 * W 71–65
 * Natasha Cloud (19)
 * Shakira Austin (9)
 * Natasha Cloud (5)
 * Climate Pledge Arena 13,213
 * 5–3
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 9
 * June 13
 * @ Indiana
 * L 66–87
 * Elena Delle Donne (17)
 * Delle Donne Sykes (6)
 * Natasha Cloud (5)
 * Gainbridge Fieldhouse 3,005
 * 5–4
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 10
 * June 16
 * Phoenix
 * W 88–69
 * Elena Delle Donne (17)
 * Tianna Hawkins (8)
 * Ariel Atkins (5)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 4,200
 * 6–4
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 11
 * June 18
 * Chicago
 * W 77–69
 * Elena Delle Donne (20)
 * Delle Donne Sykes (6)
 * Natasha Cloud (5)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 4,009
 * 7–4
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 12
 * June 22
 * @ Chicago
 * W 80–59
 * Elena Delle Donne (18)
 * Brittney Sykes (11)
 * Brittney Sykes (5)
 * Wintrust Arena 6,158
 * 8–4
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 13
 * June 25
 * @ New York
 * L 88–89 (OT)
 * Ariel Atkins (24)
 * Cloud Delle Donne (6)
 * Natasha Cloud (11)
 * Barclays Center 7,285
 * 8–5
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 14
 * June 28
 * Atlanta
 * W 109–86
 * Elena Delle Donne (25)
 * Tianna Hawkins (11)
 * Brittney Sykes (10)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 3,624
 * 9–5
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 15
 * June 30
 * @ Atlanta
 * L 89–94
 * Elena Delle Donne (31)
 * Brittney Sykes (6)
 * Natasha Cloud (6)
 * Gateway Center Arena 3,209
 * 9–6


 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 16
 * July 2
 * @ Dallas
 * L 72–89
 * Ariel Atkins (20)
 * Tianna Hawkins (11)
 * Natasha Cloud (6)
 * College Park Center 4,544
 * 9–7
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 17
 * July 7
 * Indiana
 * W 96–88
 * Brittney Sykes (29)
 * Ariel Atkins (10)
 * Tianna Hawkins (5)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 4,200
 * 10–7
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 18
 * July 9
 * @ Connecticut
 * L 84–92
 * Tianna Hawkins (24)
 * Queen Egbo (7)
 * Brittney Sykes (7)
 * Mohegan Sun Arena 6,558
 * 10–8
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 19
 * July 11
 * Seattle
 * W 93–86
 * Brittney Sykes (26)
 * Queen Egbo (8)
 * Natasha Cloud (8)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 3,571
 * 11–8
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 20
 * July 19
 * Indiana
 * L 76–82
 * Natasha Cloud (19)
 * Tianna Hawkins (9)
 * Brittney Sykes (7)
 * Capital One Arena 14,406
 * 11–9
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 21
 * July 21
 * New York
 * L 87–96
 * Brittney Sykes (29)
 * Brittney Sykes (10)
 * Natasha Cloud (5)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 4,200
 * 11–10
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 22
 * July 23
 * Phoenix
 * W 84–69
 * Cloud Sykes (23)
 * Egbo Hawkins (7)
 * Natasha Cloud (9)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 4,200
 * 12–10
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 23
 * July 26
 * @ Minnesota
 * L 92–97
 * Natasha Cloud (24)
 * Egbo Hines-Allen (7)
 * Natasha Cloud (6)
 * Target Center 7,024
 * 12–11
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 24
 * July 28
 * @ Dallas
 * 62–90
 * Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (14)
 * Brittney Sykes (5)
 * Brittney Sykes (4)
 * College Park Center 4,048
 * 12–12
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 25
 * July 30
 * @ Atlanta
 * L 73–80
 * Brittney Sykes (25)
 * Tianna Hawkins (10)
 * Natasha Cloud (4)
 * Gateway Center Arena 3,209
 * 12–13


 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 26
 * August 4
 * Los Angeles
 * W 79–77
 * Tianna Hawkins (17)
 * Egbo Hines-Allen (9)
 * Brittney Sykes (8)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 3,747
 * 13–13
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 27
 * August 6
 * Los Angeles
 * L 83–91
 * Tianna Hawkins (23)
 * Natasha Cloud (6)
 * Natasha Cloud (7)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 4,073
 * 13–14
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 28
 * August 8
 * @ Phoenix
 * L 72–91
 * Brittney Sykes (24)
 * Queen Egbo (6)
 * Myisha Hines-Allen (7)
 * Footprint Center 6,610
 * 13–15
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 29
 * August 11
 * @ Las Vegas
 * L 89–113
 * Natasha Cloud (21)
 * Tianna Hawkins (10)
 * Cloud Skyes (6)
 * Michelob Ultra Arena 9,364
 * 13–16
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 30
 * August 13
 * Chicago
 * L 76–83
 * Brittney Sykes (30)
 * Cloud Hawkins (6)
 * Cloud Sykes (6)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 3,796
 * 14–16
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 31
 * August 18
 * @ Indiana
 * W 83–79
 * Brittney Sykes (30)
 * Myisha Hines-Allen (6)
 * Brittney Sykes (4)
 * Gainbridge Fieldhouse 3,506
 * 15–16
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 32
 * August 20
 * Dallas
 * L 84–97
 * Natasha Cloud (22)
 * Myisha Hines-Allen (8)
 * Myisha Hines-Allen (6)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 4,200
 * 15–17
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 33
 * August 22
 * Connecticut
 * L 64–68
 * Natasha Cloud (19)
 * Queen Egbo (8)
 * Natasha Cloud (5)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 3,058
 * 15–18
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 34
 * August 26
 * Las Vegas
 * W 78–62
 * Elena Delle Donne (21)
 * Austin Delle Donne Hawkins (7)
 * Natasha Cloud (9)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 4,200
 * 16–18
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 35
 * August 29
 * Minnesota
 * W 83–72
 * Brittney Sykes (21)
 * Brittney Sykes (8)
 * Natasha Cloud (9)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 3,708
 * 17–18
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 36
 * August 31
 * @ Las Vegas
 * L 75–84
 * Elena Delle Donne (17)
 * Hines-Allen Sykes (7)
 * Cloud Sykes (5)
 * Michelob Ultra Arena 8,619
 * 17–19


 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 37
 * September 3
 * @ Los Angeles
 * L 64–72
 * Brittney Sykes (14)
 * Hawkins Hines-Allen (7)
 * Natasha Cloud (5)
 * Crypto.com Arena 4,284
 * 17–20
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 38
 * September 5
 * @ Phoenix
 * W 100–77
 * Natasha Cloud (20)
 * Myisha Hines-Allen (8)
 * Natasha Cloud (10)
 * Footprint Center 7,038
 * 18–20
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 39
 * September 8
 * Atlanta
 * L 75–80
 * Brittney Sykes (27)
 * Myisha Hines-Allen (7)
 * Natasha Cloud (15)
 * Entertainment and Sports Arena 4,210
 * 18–21
 * - style="background:#bbffbb;"
 * 40
 * September 10
 * @ New York
 * W 90–88
 * Brittney Sykes (20)
 * Brittney Sykes (7)
 * Brittney Sykes (6)
 * Barclays Center 8,306
 * 19–21

Playoffs

 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 1
 * September 15
 * @ New York
 * L 75–90
 * Myisha Hines-Allen (21)
 * Hines-Allen Cloud (8)
 * Natasha Cloud (8)
 * Barclays Center 8,789
 * 0–1
 * - style="background:#fcc;"
 * 2
 * September 19
 * @ New York
 * L 85–90 (OT)
 * Natasha Cloud (33)
 * Brittney Sykes (12)
 * Natasha Cloud (9)
 * Barclays Center 9,256
 * 0–2

Regular Season
‡Waived/Released during the season

†Traded during the season

≠Acquired during the season