It may not jump off the screen, but this afternoon League Pass offering is worthwhile for its glimpse at the future. Sunday’s matchup between the Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun showcases new coaches, a few rookie debuts and nothing but upside on a springtime Sunday. If your favorite team doesn’t harbor immediate playoff aspirations, then this is what the WNBA’s first weekend should be all about.
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How to watch Washington Mystics at Connecticut Sun
Washington’s rebuild grows around Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, the respective third and fourth picks in April’s draft. Iriafen was a skillful, two-way big running with JuJu Watkins at USC. She has the speed to exhaust and torment opposing frontcourts. Citron was a long-range deadeye for Notre Dame, and she should translate as a modern 3-and-D talent. It’s a shame we can’t also catch Georgia Amoore, a third rookie prospect who tore her ACL in training camp.
Connecticut reached the semis or the Finals in six straight seasons, dating back to 2019. That’s all but certainly not happening in 2025. A starting five can be fashioned from the offseason departures (Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, DiJonai Carrington, Brionna Jones, Tyasha Harris). The replacements include hot-shooting Marina Mabrey and former All-Star Diamond DeShields. They also tapped in UConn hero and presumed locker room mentor Tina Charles. She hits the weekend trailing only Diana Taurasi on the WNBA’s career scoring list. The 36-year-old center still had some juice with Atlanta last year (14.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game).
Rebuild responsibilities go to Saniya Rivers, a physical guard from South Carolina and NC State, and Aneesah Morrow, the rebounding machine from DePaul and LSU. Like Washington’s newcomers, Connecticut took Morrow (seventh) and Rivers (eighth) via back-to-back draft picks.
Best player to wear both jerseys: Tina Charles, for sure. The ultra-decorated center was All-WNBA for Washington and league MVP for Connecticut.
Sabreena Merchant’s power rankings:
Washington (No. 13) — “The Mystics now have two players with more than three years of WNBA experience, and both — Stefanie Dolson and Brittney Sykes — would be attractive to contending teams at the trade deadline, particularly Dolson with her shooting ability. It will be interesting to see if Washington’s commitment to accumulating draft capital extends to its last remaining veterans, or if the Mystics keep them to help mentor the younger players.”
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Connecticut (No. 12) — “The Sun aren’t positioned to win this season, but they need to learn what they have in their rookie class, specifically first-round picks Morrow and Rivers. While most awards prioritize winning, that isn’t the case with all-rookie, and Morrow’s and Rivers’ abilities to stand out in their draft class will be the best indicator for Connecticut’s success.”
Streaming, betting and ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Photo of Kiki Iriafen: Geoff Stellfox / Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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