Get to know every Mystics first round draft pick

The WNBA is entering its 20th season this year. The Mystics aren't one of the league's original franchises, but they are nevertheless one of the league's oldest teams.

Today, let's take a look at each the Mystics' first round draft picks from their first season in 1998 all the way through this season. Who are they, and where are they now?

So without further ado, let's walk down memory lane.

1998: Murriel Page, F/C, Florida, 3rd overall

How long did she play for the Mystics? Page played for the Mystics from 1998-2006 when she was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks.

What does she do today? She played in L.A. from 2006-2009 when she retired. Since her playing days. Page became an assistant coach in 2010 for the Florida Gators where she has been ever since.

1999: Chamique Holdsclaw, PF, Tennessee, 1st overall

How long did she play for the Mystics? Holdsclaw is regarded as the Mystics' first and only true franchise player to date. She played in Washington from 1999-2004 where she made five consecutive All-Star teams. Holdsclaw was also the rookie of the year in 1999.

In 2000, she and then-Mystics guard Nikki McCray represented Team USA in the Olympics. She and McCray are still the only Mystics players to represent the United States in the Olympics.

What has she done since playing in D.C.? In 2005, Holdsclaw was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for Delisha Milton-Jones and played there through 2007. She retired from the WNBA after the 2010 season.

Holdsclaw is a mental health advocate today. During her professional career, Holdsclaw suffered multiple bouts of depression. A movie, "MIND/GAME: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw" is now available on DVD and in some limited screenings.

2000: Tausha Mills, C, Alabama, 2nd overall

How long did she play for the Mystics? Mills played three seasons for the Mystics from 2000-2002 as a reserve. She bounced around to a couple other teams after her time in Washington. Since she was a second overall pick and never managed to crack the starting lineup, it's safe to say that Mills was a bust.

What does she do today? I looked around and can't find anything much on her.

2001: Coco Miller, G, Georgia, 9th overall

How long did she play for the Mystics? Miller played eight seasons for the Mystics from 2001-2008. Her best season statistically was in 2003 when he averaged 12.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists a game. Most of the time however, Miller served in a reserve role. Coco Miller is also the twin sister of long-time WNBA player Kelly Miller, who also played for the Mystics in 2011.

What has she done since playing in D.C.? After her time with the Mystics, Miller played for the Atlanta Dream from 2009-2011 and the Los Angeles Sparks in 2012.

In 2013, Miller was named the head coach for a girl's high school basketball team but withdrew hours later. She lives in the Phoenix area with her sister and also ran a sports performance training company, but I can't locate the site for it.

2002: Stacey Dales, SG, Oklahoma, 3rd overall

How long did she play for the Mystics? Dales played for the Mystics from 2002-2004 where she was named an injury All-Star game replacement in 2002.

What does she do today? She retired from playing in 2004 but briefly came out of retirement to join the Chicago Sky in 2006, who were an expansion team at the time.

Dales was also an ESPN college basketball analyst and football sideline reporter until 2008. In 2009, she became a host for NFL Network where she has been ever since.

2002: Asjha Jones, PF, Connecticut, 4th overall (pick acquired from the Indiana Fever)

How long did she play for the Mystics? Jones played for the Mystics from 2002-2003 where she played as a backup to Chamique Holdsclaw.

What has she done since playing in D.C.? She was traded to the Connecticut Sun where she played from 2004-12, earned two All-Star Game appearances, and played on the 2012 Olympic Team that won a Gold Medal. The head coach of the Connecticut Sun during Jones' tenure there? His name was Mike Thibault. We're still a decade away before he became the Mystics' head coach.

In 2015, she played for the Minnesota Lynx who won a league championship.

2003: Aiysha Smith, PF, LSU, 7th overall

How long did she play for the Mystics? Smith played for the Mystics from 2003-04 in a reserve role. She took a leave of absence in 2005 which ultimately was her retirement call.

What does she do today? Smith married former NFL player Marcus Spears who played for the Dallas Cowboys from 2005-12 and the Baltimore Ravens in 2013.

2004: Alana Beard, SG, Duke, 2nd overall

How long did she play for the Mystics? Beard played for the Mystics from 2004-2011 where she made four All-Star game appearances, but she did not play in the 2010 and 2011 seasons due to an ankle injury.

Given that Beard has an accomplished resumé as a player, she is generally regarded as the Mystics' best player since Holdsclaw. I feel that it was a shame that the two only played together for one season.

What has she done since playing in D.C.? Since 2012, Beard played for the Los Angeles Sparks.

2005: Temeka Johnson, PG, LSU, 5th overall

How long did she play for the Mystics? Johnson played for the Mystics in 2005 when she won rookie of the year.

What has she done since playing in D.C.? Johnson was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2006 where she played until 2008 and made future stops with the Phoenix Mercury 2009-2011, the Tulsa Shock in 2012, Seattle Storm in 2013 and 14, and returned to L.A. in 2015.

Johnson may have never been a WNBA All-Star in her career, but she has developed a repuation as a solid career starter.

2006: Tamara James, SF, Miami (FL), 8th overall

How long did she play for the Mystics? James played in 2006 and 2007 mostly in a reserve role.

What has she done since playing in D.C.? James played nine years internationally in Israel, Spain, and Turkey. She now has retired but is running for the City Commission in her hometown of Dania Beach, Florida.

2007: Bernice Mosby, PF, Baylor, 6th overall

How long did she play for the Mystics? Mosby played for Washington from 2007-2009 as a reserve.

What has she done since playing in D.C.? She has played internationally , most recently for Bucheon KEB Hana Bank of the WKBL in Korea.

2008: Crystal Langhorne, PF, Maryland, 6th overall

How long did she play for the Mystics? When Langhorne arrived in 2008, she initially was a reserve post player but remained a fan favorite because she graduated from the nearby University of Maryland where she won a national title in 2006.

After a ho-hum rookie season, Langhorne emerged as a starter in 2009 and carried much of the scoring load for D.C. in Alana Beard's absence in 2010 and 2011. Langhorne made three All-Star appearances in 2010, 2011, and 2013, and was the Most Improved Player in 2009.

What has she done since playing in D.C.? She was traded on the date of the 2014 WNBA Draft to the Seattle Storm in exchange for their 2014 first-round draft pick Bria Hartley and then-sophomore post Tianna Hawkins. Langhorne has been a starting post for the Storm since.

2009: Marissa Coleman, SF, Maryland, 2nd overall

How long did she play for the Mystics? Coleman played for Washington from 2009-2011. In her first two seasons, she played as a reserve to Monique Currie who held the starting role for most of the late 2000's and early 2010's.

In 2011, Currie missed nearly the entire season due to a torn ACL, which allowed her to start, but she was benched late in the season.

What has she done since playing in D.C.? Coleman was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2012 where she remained a reserve wing player. At the time of the trade, many people viewed her as a bust because a number of players picked after her like fellow Maryland alumna Kristi Toliver and DeWanna Bonner quickly emerged as impact players while she did not.

However, Coleman has blossomed over the last couple of seasons while playing for the Indiana Fever where she is their starting small forward. In fact, she made her first All-Star Game appearance last season.

2010: Jacinta Monroe, C, Florida State, 6th overall

How long did she play for the Mystics? Monroe played as a reserve in the 2010 season.

What has she done since playing in D.C.? Monroe was cut before the 2011 season. She would eventually spend part of that season with the Tulsa Shock. Most recently, she played for Manatee, a club in Puerto Rico.

2011: Ta'Shia Phillips, C, Xavier, 8th overall (pick acquired from the Atlanta Dream)

How long did she play for the Mystics? Phillips was a reserve for part of the 2011 season and was cut midway that season.

What has she done since playing in D.C.? Phillips played for the remainder of the season with the New York Liberty and played for a number of years internationally before retiring. She is now an assistant coach for Garden City Community College in Kansas.

2011: Victoria Dunlap, SF, Kentucky, 11th overall

How long did she play for the Mystics? Dunlap played in a reserve role for the 2011 season.

What has she done since playing in D.C.? Phillips was cut before the 2012 season, but she would manage to play a few games for the Seattle Storm. Dunlap now plays for Aras Leon in Spain.

2011: Jasmine Thomas, PG, Duke, 12th overall

How long did she play for the Mystics? Thomas was an on-again, off-again starting point guard in Washington for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

What has she done since playing in D.C.? Thomas was traded to the Atlanta Dream before the 2013 season in exchange for the seventh and 19th picks in the 2013 Draft. The Mystics traded the 7th pick days later to acquire Kia Vaughn who still plays for them.

The 19th pick in the 2013 Draft ended up being some Ieperse basketbalspeler who we talk about a lot.

Talk about Mike Thibault pulling off some trade magic! But wait, we're still going through draft picks from the Pre-Thibault Era.

2012: Natalie Novosel, SG, Notre Dame, 8th overall (pick acquired from the Atlanta Dream)

How long did she play for the Mystics? Novosel played as a reserve for Washington in 2012. She became a cult hero among some WNBA bloggers for awhile because then-GM and Head Coach Trudi Lacey stressed acquiring a number of veteran players in order to help get the Langhorne-Currie-Matee Ajavon trio into the playoffs.

Well, most of the veterans she acquired were bad fits, and pretty much everyone knew that Washington needed more youth. And Novosel was there sitting on the bench in what was a doomed season from the start.

Her nickname at Notre Dame was "Nasty" and naturally, with the Capitals being the type of team they were, this was a rallying cry that kept playing in my head:

It wasn't that Novosel was destined to be a superstar. She wasn't. But we just wanted her to get meaningful minutes -- which she often never received.

For Wizards standards, you may be tempted to say that Kelly Oubre is the player we do a rallying call for. But as disappointing as the 2015-16 was for the Wizards, the 2012 Mystics season was just a lot worse.

What has she done since playing in D.C.? Novosel was cut before the 2013 season. I wrote a post-mortem and got grief from some folks about it.

And here's another notable fact about Novosel's departure. When she was cut, none of Lacey's draft picks were on the Mystics anymore. And this was before Thibault coached one regular season game for Washington.

Ultimately, Novosel -- despite her blog cult hero status -- did not have the athleticism or defensive skills that Thibault preferred in his system.

Don't take my word for it. Here's what she said in The Advertiser, based in Adelaide, Australia:

"It was kind of shocking at first," Novosel recalls.

"My coach got fired and a whole new coaching team came in ... and they ended up going with a more athletic girl in my position."

Since moving on from the Mystics, Novosel played mostly in Australia. This season, she played for the Townsville Fire.

2012: LaSondra Barrett, SG, LSU, 10th overall (pick acquired from the Seattle Storm)

How long did she play for the Mystics? If you thought Natalie Novosel's lack of meaningful playing time was egregious, get this. Barrett never played in the 2012 regular season. She was cut before the regular season. I don't have anything else to add.

What has she done since? Barrett played internationally in Israel at some point after getting cut by the Mystics. I've heard that she is no longer playing now.

2013: Tayler Hill, SG, Ohio State, 4th overall

If there's something that separates the Thibault Era of the Mystics versus the past, it's that he is committed to a team built around homegrown draft picks. Every first round pick from this year on is still playing in a Washington uniform.

Now, let's get to Hill, who I received grief for because I wanted her to hit the ground running as a rookie but she didn't. Compared with the draft picks before and after her, some view her as an underachiever if not worse. But let's say that the book isn't closed on her just yet given how she has played last Sunday against the Lynx.

Anyway, Hill is entering her fourth season in Washington. She was one of four rookies in the 2013 season to kick off the Mike Thibault Era. Hill and two other rookies from that 2013 season: Meesseman and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt are still on the team today. All three form the franchise's current backbone of homegrown draft picks.

Though Hill has played mostly as a reserve during her career, part of the reason why may be because she was playing her way back into shape after having her son in 2014. We'll see how she continues this season because there's a good chance she's starting, ready to make the naysayers eat crow.

2014: Stefanie Dolson, C, Connecticut, 6th overall

Dolson has been the Mystics' starting center since 2015 after serving as a reserve in her rookie season.

She projects to be one of the WNBA's best centers over the next several years where she provides solid defense, rebounding, perimeter shooting, and playmaking ability for the team.

She's also known for dance moves and this:

2014: Bria Hartley, G, Connecticut, 7th overall (pick acquired from the Seattle Storm)

As mentioned in Langhorne's section, Hartley came to Washington as part of a draft day deal with the Seattle Storm.

Hartley was a starter her rookie season for the Mystics and made the All-Rookie Team. She's probably best known as a WNBA player for this play early in her rookie season.

Unfortunately, a foot injury hampered her sophomore season, but Hartley has a good chance to perhaps start again in 2016 with Ivory Latta out.

I also learned about this factoid about Hartley that you may not know yet until now.

She is the great-granddaughter of the late Savannah Churchill, a popular R&B singer in the 1940's and 1950's. Churchill is best known for "I Want to Be Loved", a number-one hit on the Billboard R&B charts in 1947:

I'm sure Dolson will be singing in more karaoke competitions given her outgoing personality. But if she went against Hartley, I may very well put my money on Bria. Just saying.

2015: Ally Malott, F, Dayton, 8th overall

Malott played in a reserve role during the 2015 season where she played at both the small and power forward positions. This season, we can expect her to do more of the same.

2016: Kahleah Copper, G/F, Rutgers, 7th overall

Copper has had a strong preseason so far where she played in a starting role. I'm not sure if she's going to remain a starter to start the regular season, but she looks very promising indeed.