The Washington Mystics have made their tough decisions regarding their roster heading into regular season play. They open the 2018 campaign with back-to-back home games, hosting the Indiana Fever on Sunday and then the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday. We've taken time to predict the roster(11:25 mark) on one of the more recent episodes of The Focus TV, below is the final roster with a few quick thoughts on each player.
Ariel Atkins. Combo guard with two way ability, should get an opportunity to get minutes early before Hill returns to the rotation.
Natasha Cloud. Fourth year player that can be played at several different spots across the perimeter. Washington's a different team whenever she's assertive offensively.
Monique Currie. Veteran leadership is the first thing that comes to mind, but Mo can still play. She gives Washington another plus defender and some versatility on both ends of the floor. Still a very capable scorer.
Elena Delle Donne. This is year two in Washington, she moves back to power forward now that Emma Meesseman is sitting out the WNBA season. It's her natural position, she'll also need to keep taking steps forward on the defensive end of the floor.
Tianna Hawkins. One of the best shooters on the entire roster, she's put the work in during the offseason both on her game and body. She gives Washington another versatile piece in their front court.
Tayler Hill. She was one of Washington's leading scorers last season before the ACL injury. As of now, she's expected to return sometime in June.
Myisha Hines-Allen. The first thing that comes to mind with this youngster is versatility. It speaks volumes that she made the roster, she was one of the young players that vets brought up on Media Day.
Tierra Ruffin-Pratt. She's one of the league's most underrated two-way players.
LaToya Sanders. Yet another versatile front court piece for the Mystics. In her last stint here, she made a huge impact on the defensive end of the floor.
Krystal Thomas. She was asked to play a big role last season due to injuries and did a great job. She got better as the season went on, providing Washington with a physical presence on both ends of the floor.
Kristi Toliver. The veteran guard really showed up during the postseason for Washington. She should be more comfortable heading into the second year with this group.
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough. The second year player was ushered into the lineup after Hill’s injury. SWK had a good season overseas, playing a more assertive role on the offensive end. Washington needs some of that assertiveness to carry over into this WNBA season.
