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Two first-year head coaches hoping to record the first victory of their respective WNBA careers will square off on opening night on Friday, when the Washington Mystics host the Atlanta Dream.

Washington, which parted ways with former head coach Eric Thibault after a 33-47 mark over two seasons, hired Sydney Johnson to fill the role in December. For a franchise searching for just its second winning season since 2019, Friday marks the beginning of a new era in the nation’s capital.

“I’m having the time of my life so far,” said Johnson, who spent last season as an assistant with the Chicago Sky. “I really enjoyed my season last year with Chicago and I’m feeling really fulfilled. … I just come to the gym so grateful and thankful, and understanding that these opportunities aren’t afforded to everyone.”

Johnson, 51, compiled a 66-53 record as the men’s head coach at Princeton from 2007-11 before going 116-147 at Fairfield from 2011-19.

The Mystics, however, were dealt serious blows in the months leading up to the beginning of the regular season. The team’s sixth overall pick in April, Georgia Amoore, suffered a torn ACL on April 30 and will miss the entirety of her rookie season. Second-year player Aaliyah Edwards was diagnosed with a low back contusion and her timetable to return is questionable.

Washington’s leading scorer from last season, Ariel Atkins (14.9 points per game), was dealt to Chicago in February. Brittney Sykes (12.2 points) returns to Washington for her ninth season in the league.

In a similar offseason, Atlanta fired head coach Tanisha Wright in October following a 48-68 record in three seasons. The Dream then hired longtime Florida Gulf Coast head coach Karl Smesko, who led the Eagles to 11 Atlantic Sun Conference titles — including eight straight from 2017-24.

The Dream, who return their two leading scorers in Rhyne Howard (17.3 points) and Allisha Gray (15.6) and signed Brittney Griner to a one-year deal, will look to contend right away in the Eastern Conference.

“I love the roster we have and the talent that’s on the team,” Smesko said. “Everything has fallen into place and aligned at the right time and I’m just excited to get this season started and see what we can accomplish.”

–Field Level Media

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