As WNBA draft arrives, Mystics have new foundation and new focus

For an organization undergoing a makeover, moving forward without two longtime starters from its 2019 WNBA championship team, Austin and Atkins aren’t a bad place to start building the next foundation of Mystics basketball. A subdued approach to free agency gave General Manager Mike Thibault, an assistant coach for the national team, flexibility with how he builds the roster, and a significant step will come Monday night at the WNBA draft in New York.

Washington holds the No. 6, No. 21 and No. 30 picks in the three-round event. The Indiana Fever (widely expected to select Iowa star Caitlin Clark), the Los Angeles Sparks, the Chicago Sky, the Sparks and the Dallas Wings hold the top five picks.

Austin being able to participate in Team USA training camp was a pleasant development for the Mystics after she struggled with a hip injury for much of 2023, playing just 19 of 40 games. Austin had surgery to repair a torn labrum in late November, and the original recovery timeline was four to six months. She had not begun having contact against defenders as of a week and a half ago, but Austin said she was in line to start two-on-two and three-on-three workouts within two weeks.

“It’s honestly been harder to hold myself back,” she said. “I feel really good. And a hip, it’s been a weird injury where I’ll feel great, but you will feel it if you do something you shouldn’t. So, right now, it’s just about being patient and really just sticking to the course.”

WNBA training camps open April 28, and Austin will continue to move at a deliberate pace. Thibault didn’t want to predict her availability for the season opener against New York on May 14. And what these Mystics will look like as a whole is a bit of a mystery.

Gone is two-time MVP Elena Delle Donne, who declined to sign a core qualifying offer and decided to take time away from the game. (A trade never materialized, but Thibault said he’s open to Delle Donne returning.) Natasha Cloud, a longtime starter, signed with Phoenix. Tianna Hawkins was not re-signed, and Kristi Toliver will be an assistant coach for the Mercury. That adds up to four pieces from the 2019 title team that are no longer around.

“It was just kind of one of those things where, like, it’s an evolution of the game, right?” Atkins said. “It happens with people all the time. People move on. People grow. People decide that they want a shift. [Front] office decides they want a shift. Me and Kira know that we’ve got to be the one to put the foundation down, put in the work from Day 1.”

Atkins is a two-time all-star and an Olympic gold medalist. Austin…