Mystics 2025 first-round pick's season in doubt after concerning injury

It's an unfortunate development for Amoore, one of the 2025 draft's top guard prospects. If it's a serious injury, it also leaves the Mystics thin at guard.

Amoore played five college seasons, including her first four at Virginia Tech (2020-24) before transferring to Kentucky last season.

In 2024-25 with the Wildcats, Amoore averaged career-highs in points (19.6) and assists (6.9) per game. For her career, Amoore averaged 15.7 points and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 40.3 percent, including 35.6 percent on three-point attempts.

Washington has three guards (Jade Melbourne, Sug Sutton, Brittney Sykes) with prior WNBA experience. Of the three, Sykes is the biggest contributor, averaging 23.3 minutes per game in 18 starts last season while being limited by an ankle injury.

Amoore was one of five rookie guards brought into camp, including No. 3 overall pick Sonia Citron, No. 23 pick Lucy Olsen, No. 32 overall Zaay Green and Morgan Jones.

Citron is a strong scoring threat with career 46.8/37/84.3 percent shooting splits, but she's better suited to play shooting guard, leaving the Mystics with few primary ball-handling guard options. Olsen might be their best.

Since winning the 2019 WNBA title, Washington has failed to win a playoff series and has posted a losing record in four of its past five seasons, including a 14-26 mark in 2024. The team's .350 win percentage was its worst since 2012, when it went 5-29 (.147).

This offseason, the Mystics overhauled their front office and coaching staff, firing general manager Mike Thibault and head coach Eric Thibault. In February, Washington introduced Jamila Wideman, the NBA's former senior vice president of player development, and Sydney Johnson, a 2024 Sky assistant coach, as its general manager and head coach, respectively. 

Amoore's injury is their first significant obstacle. It also robs the Mystics of the opportunity to build on-court chemistry between their young core, which also includes 2025 first-round pick (No. 4 overall) forward Kiki Iriafen and 2024-first round selection (No. 6 overall) forward Aaliyah Edwards.

Amoore, Citron, Iriafen and Edwards could have been the start of something special for the Mystics, and they still might. It might just be a while before we see the four on the court together.