The Washington Mystics announced the signing Monday of Japanese point guard Rui Machida.
Machida, 28, led Japan to a silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
“Rui is a very exciting signing for us. She is one of the most dynamic point guards in the world and perfectly fits our style of play,” Mystics general manager and head coach Mike Thibault said in a news release. “She pushes the tempo offensively and creates great opportunities for her teammates both in transition and in the half court. We can pair her with any of our guards to give us different looks with our lineups. Her teammates will love playing with her and our fans will love watching her play.”
Machida set a Summer Games record with 18 assists in a win against France on Aug. 6, 2021. She averaged 7.2 points, 12.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds in six games.
She has appeared in 18 games this season with the Fujitsu Red Wave of the Japanese Basketball League, posting 10.7 points, 8.3 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game.
–Field Level Media
