Washington also received Olivia Epoupa in the deal, but waived her and DiDi Richards.
The Washington Mystics announced that they have acquired forward Sika Kone and Olivia Epoupa and a second round pick for the 2026 WNBA Draft from the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Myisha Hines-Allen. The Mystics then announced that they waived Epoupa and DiDi Richards. The news comes right on the WNBA’s trade deadline day.
Kone is averaging 1.2 points per game this season, her third in the WNBA. Hines-Allen averaged 8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for the Mystics this season.
In a statement, Mystics General Manager Mike Thibault said the following:
I want to thank Myisha for all she has contributed to our organization, on and off the court. She was a big part of our championship team and has battled back from injuries to make valuable contributions to this current team. We wish her the best in Minnesota.
Given that the Mystics traded Hines-Allen, the best player in this trade, it all but says that she no longer figures into the Mystics’ plans and they were looking to get some kind of value for her before she hits free agency. In addition, the Mystics figured to be sellers anyway, according to Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post.
Also, given that Kone is not playing much right now, it would be interesting to see how much more time rookie forward Aaliyah Edwards gets.
Finally, Epoupa, Kone, and Richards are or were all on non-guaranteeing minimum contracts, with only Kone remaining on a team. This means that the money Epoupa and Richards miss out on from getting cut will not count toward the salary cap. So perhaps the Mystics are looking to save salary in what is likely a lottery-bound season.
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