The WNBA will welcome two new teams during the 2026 season: the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire. There is no set date for drafting an expansion plan due to ongoing collective agreement negotiations. However, that won’t stop us from wondering which players the Mystics will protect against being sent to Toronto or Portland, even if it’s only for what should be an eventful free agency season.
In the 2025 WNBA Expansion Draft for the Golden State Valkyries, the Mystics and all WNBA teams were allowed to protect six players, regardless of status. When the Valkyries draft took place in December 2024, Golden State selected Julie Vanloowho was Washington’s starting point guard in 2024, but was a 31-year-old Belgian veteran who didn’t figure to be part of the Mystics’ future after the firing of then-general manager Mike Thibault and then-head coach Eric Thibault.
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Now let’s take a look at the Mystics’ current roster and their status heading into the 2026 season.
Roster of 2025 Mystics by 2026
Unrestricted free agents (player can sign with any team): Alysha Clark, Stefanie Dolson, Jade Melbourne
Restricted Free Agents (player can negotiate and sign an offer with any team but the Mystics can match): Sug Sutton, Shakira Austin
Reserved (contract ended BUT she can only negotiate her next contract with the 2025 team: Emily Engstler, Madison Scott
Under contract for the 2026 season: Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Georgia Amoore, Jacy Sheldon, Lucy Olsen
Players the Mystics hold draft rights to, although they have never signed: Nastja Claessens, Txell Alarcon
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Okay, so which players would the Mystics be most likely to protect?
The rules haven’t been released yet, but for the purposes of this exercise, we’ll assume Washington manages to protect six players from their final day roster of the 2025 season and their unsigned draft picks. Here are the players it makes sense, in my opinion, for Washington to keep based on each category.
Unrestricted free agents: Melbourne appears to be the best candidate for protection. That’s because I don’t see the Mystics feeling desperate to keep Clark or Dolson. This is one.
Restricted free agents: Sutton and Austin are likely to be protected. That’s two more protected players, so we’re down to three.
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Reserve: None. While I like Engstler, I don’t necessarily see Fire or Tempo selecting her in an expansion draft scenario either.
Players under contract for 2026: Lemon, Iriafen, Amoore. All three are 2025 draft picks. Citron and Iriafen are All-Stars. Amoore is someone the Mystics want to see grow with them in 2026.
Long story short, if I were Mystics GM Jamila Wideman, she would most likely be protecting Citron, Iriafen, Amoore, Austin, Sutton and Melbourne. Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments below.
