There are many different candidates who could be a realistic fit. But don’t expect the decision to be made until after the WNBA Draft Lottery. In the meantime, let’s speculate over some possible candidates.
The Washington Mystics are looking to rebuild their team in the post Mike Thibault Era after the former General Manager was let go earlier this week along with Head Coach Eric Thibault. It isn’t clear who the Mystics are interested in bringing in for interviews.
But according to Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post, don’t expect Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger to make a decision before the WNBA Draft Lottery on Nov. 17. In addition, don’t be surprised if the next GM comes from outside the WNBA. That won’t be a requirement for this job.
In the meantime, let’s look at some hypothetical candidates for the Mystics’ GM position.
Monumental Basketball internal hires
These people are already within Monumental Basketball. They are natural first for a promotion, but of course, Washington is likely looking beyond their organization for the next GM. There are only two people who stand out here:
- Maria Giovanetti, most recently the Washington Mystics’ Assistant GM and Senior Vice President of Strategy and Vision — Giovanetti has been with Monumental Sports & Entertainment, starting with their predecessor, Lincoln Holdings since 2008, starting on their business side. She moved into the Mystics front office in 2012 and has gradually took on larger roles since then. It’s possible that Giovanetti could be a candidate to be the next Mystics GM, but she’d also be considered a holdover from the Mike Thibault Era. Also, if Thibault were to get another front office job as the President of Basketball Operations for one of the new WNBA expansion teams in 2026, it’s plausible that Giovanetti could be the GM of that team.
- Amber Nichols, Director of Amateur Evaluation, Washington Wizards — Nichols has been with Monumental since 2018 when she became the Director of Basketball Operations for the Capital City Go-Go. In 2021, she became the General Manager for the Go-Go, where they made three consecutive playoff appearances and finished above .500 in all three seasons of her tenure (2021-24). Her job now is to oversee college players who could be drafted or signed by the Wizards one day. I believe being a WNBA GM is a step above being a G League one. However, Nichols hasn’t been involved in women’s basketball operations since her college playing days at Richmond.
People outside Monumental Basketball
The Mystics also have the option of looking at trying to poach another WNBA team’s GM. But given that the Mystics are rebuilding, they are likely going to look at a person who could grow with the team and didn’t have a similar role before. In light of that, here are some possible names to consider:
- Swin Cash, Vice President of Basketball Operations, New Orleans Pelicans — Cash is a former All-Star WNBA player and Hall of Fame player who has been in the Pelicans’ front office since 2019. New Orleans has increased its win totals in each of the last five seasons and made the playoffs last season. If Winger goes in the NBA direction with this hire, Cash would check off both boxes as someone with significant clout in the WNBA as a former player and the NBA as a front office vice president. The only hesitation I have with Cash is that she has no ties to the Mystics and the Pelicans have gradually been improving. Still, if Cash comes to the Mystics, she could be Winger’s version of a “home run hire.”
- Eli Horowitz, Assistant General Manager, Vice President of Scouting and Analytics, Los Angeles Sparks — Horowitz has overseen more of the analytics side for LA and was a previous PR Director for the Sparks. Though the Sparks were the worst WNBA team in 2024 standings-wise, they are still in a rebuilding phase. And … the Sparks are more likely to have Paige Bueckers than the Mystics, so I’ll leave it at that.
- Tonya Holley, Vice President of Basketball Operations, Las Vegas Aces — The Aces brought Holley in 2021 where they won back-to-back titles since then. Holley has served for the Aces in business operations as well as athletic training with other other teams in the past.
- Tamika Catchings, former Indiana Fever General Manager — Like Cash, Catchings is a well-decorated player who will be in the Hall of Fame sooner rather than later. She has only worked with the Fever, whether as a player during their championship and contention year or as a GM during their rebuilding years from 2020 to 2022. I’d like to see Catchings get another chance to run a team.
- Allison Feaster, Vice President of Team Operations & Organizational Growth, Boston Celtics — Feaster is a former longtime WNBA player who has worked in NBA operations for nearly 10 years after her professional career ended. She joined the Celtics in 2019 after starting with the league itself and was part of Boston’s 2023-24 NBA championship team’s front office. Some believe she could succeed current President Brad Stevens. But before Stevens retires, and like Cash, would Feaster want to return to the WNBA in a front office capacity?
These aren’t the only names Winger and Monumental Sports & Entertainment CEO Ted Leonsis would be considering. Maybe they don’t want any of them. Maybe they would like to talk to all of them and more. What do you think of this list? Let us know in the comments below.