Mystics have capable players and not enough roster spots

Her Mystics teammates jumped off the bench. That was the kind of move that made Engstler the No. 4 pick in the 2022 WNBA draft. The moment conjured thoughts of what could be with some time, but time is short.

The Mystics defeated the Atlanta Dream, 88-76, to finish their two-game preseason. Elena Delle Donne scored a game-high 17 points. The team opens the regular season May 19 at home against the New York Liberty.

General Manager Mike Thibault will have some difficult decisions to make as the May 18 roster cutdown deadline approaches. Teams can carry 12 players, but many, including the Mystics, will keep 11 to better navigate the salary cap. There’s not a lot of space available to make the team, so a game like Engstler’s on Wednesday can go a long way, especially after she came to camp late following a surprising release by the Indiana Fever after one season.

The 6-foot-1 forward said she thinks about the future when she’s back at the hotel, talking to friends and family.

“In my opinion, it’s not the best habit,” said Engstler, who scored 11 points and had eight rebounds off the bench. “You should really live in the moment, especially when you’re in this career and you need to just play day by day. But it’s a very human thing, and I do it often.

“But when I’m in the gym and when I’m with this team, I’m living in this moment and I try to make sure of that because it’s not fair to them for me to be overthinking and all that. And it’s not fair to myself because it’s giving me a lesser chance than I think I would have if I were just sitting here thinking about what happens at the end of this week.”

The Mystics have six players with guaranteed contracts — Delle Donne, Natasha Cloud, Brittney Sykes, Myisha Hines-Allen, Ariel Atkins and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough. That leaves five spots to be filled by next week. Shakira Austin, the 2022 No. 3 pick, is on her rookie deal and isn’t going anywhere. Three-time all-star and two-time champion Kristi Toliver signed a one-year deal to return to Washington in free agency and is also considered a lock to be on the roster.

The three remaining spots are likely to be filled by the other seven players in training camp after Evina Westbrook and Alisia Jenkins were released last week. This is where things get tricky for Thibault and his staff. Amanda Zahui B. was the No. 2 pick in 2015 and signed a one-year deal in free agency. The 29-year-old center started both exhibition games, and it would be a shock if she was left off the roster.

Then there is forward Tianna Hawkins. The 10-year veteran has…