We went over our Top 10 most read pieces in 2018. Today, let’s go through the Top 10 Mystics pieces read based on Google Analytics data.
No. 1 - Who are the WNBA Draft prospects in the Women’s Final Four? - Site traffic on women’s basketball sites peaks in early to mid April because the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship is in the early part of the month and the WNBA Draft happens in mid April. This piece was written on March 30 to showcase the players whom the Mystics could select assuming a prospect played for a Final Four team. Then-Louisville post Myisha Hines-Allen was a prospect who the Mystics did draft in the second round last April. I also wrote a similar piece that same day on the men’s tournament because the Wizards finally had a first round pick.
No. 2 - The Mystics vs. Lynx game on June 7 was bumped for a free Capitals Game 5 watch party - The Mystics played the Lynx on June 7 in the early afternoon instead of the evening because the Capitals planned on hosting a party. At the time I thought it was another way to snub Mystics fans. Yes, the Capitals won that day as well as the Stanley Cup. I watched that game with my father who passed away about a month later and was as happy anyone that night. But I still stand by what I wrote because I still think the Mystics could have played the game at their regularly scheduled time.
No. 3 - WNBA coach and GM mock draft projects the Mystics will draft Victoria Vivians - Then-Mississippi State guard Victoria Vivians looked like a lock as the Mystics’ next first round draft pick. She was an efficient shooter and all-around guard. And all Mike Thibault had to do to know more about Vivians was by calling his daughter Carly who was an assistant coach for the Bulldogs at the time. But Washington drafted Texas guard Ariel Atkins instead. If you are wondering what happened to Vivians, she was the eighth pick to the Indiana Fever and she averaged 8.9 points per game.
No. 4 - Mystics vs. Dream Game 5 final score: Washington wins 86-81, advances to first WNBA Finals - If there was a true game of the year this season, it was Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals. Ariel Atkins had the game of her life by scoring 20 points while Kristi Toliver added 19 more. Elena Delle Donne had a double double in her second game back after a knee injury in Game 2. This win finally took the monkey off Washington’s back as the only team without a WNBA Finals appearance and it shows that the Mystics are now starting to get known for their ability to be a contender instead of as a franchise that set league marks for futility.
No. 5 - WNBA Finals 2018: Mystics to play home games at George Mason University’s EagleBank Arena by Greydy Diaz - Capital One Arena did not host the WNBA Playoffs because of renovations to the lower bowl in September. The Mystics instead played at George Mason which coincidentally has the same colors as the Storm (Green and Gold).
No. 6 - WNBA Draft 2018: A high-level look at the prospects the Mystics would consider this year - Here’s our annual look at whom the Mystics could pick up. Again, no mention of Ariel Atkins. That’s just how much of a surprise her pickup was though it was not to Thibault himself.
No. 7 - Mystics trade Tayler Hill, second round pick for Aerial Powers by L.W. - WNBA teams generally don’t trade in the midseason like NBA teams do because of the short season. Hill had a slow comeback after her knee injury but Atkins was on fire. So they made a trade to get Powers from Dallas who opened up some cap space while Hill should get a fresh start in Dallas with franchise player Skylar Diggins-Smith expecting a baby very soon.
No. 8 - Emma Meesseman releases statement on her WNBA absence - The Mystics made their first Finals appearance this year, but they weren’t at full strength because Emma Meesseman would have had to miss the WNBA Playoffs and practice with the Belgian national team. So Meesseman sat out last year which the Belgians seemed to be a bit too happy about and some of you took issue with it. Meesseman isn’t one to troll Washington fans so this statement set the record straight.
No. 9 - Mystics vs Sparks final score: Washington advances to semifinals after 96-64 win by Greydy Diaz - The Mystics’ first playoff game came after a first round bye when they hosted the WNBA runners up. They made quick work of L.A. who flew cross country after defeating the Minnesota Lynx at home in the first round.
No. 10 - Who will make the Mystics’ opening day roster? - WNBA rosters are small and many good players get cut. This was a breakdown of the roster and the players who figured to be competing for the 12 spots on the roster.
Of course, these pieces are just the ones that had the most clicks. The Mystics had an excellent 2018 and the future next year looks better. We’ll have more content on the rest of the year later this week.