The Washington Mystics are back and you can catch them all season long on NBC Sports Washington.
In a condensed 22-game schedule within the WNBA bubble, NBCSW will provide 19 of the Mystics games for 2020. The 2019 champions play each team twice en route to defending their league championship.
The team will have a tall task ahead of them as they are starting the season without four of their five starters from last season. However, the team still boasts the 2019 WNBA Finals MVP Emma Meesseman and several other seasoned veterans that bring a ton of experience to the squad.
Here are the top games to watch on NBC Sports Washington this season.
1. Mystics vs. Fever, July 25
Of course, the season opener is a game that you can't miss. How will the Mystics look with essentially an entirely new team and the key pieces from last year gone? Meesseman is the star but she is surrounded by a bunch of players looking to prove their worth. Plus, head coach Mike Thibault says the team will likely be firing threes at-will in this new offense. Who would want to miss that for the first time on display (5 p.m. ET)?
Additionally, there will be some pregame fun before the contest. Last year's assistant coach Marianne Stanley now leads the Fever and will be receiving her championship ring.
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2. Mystics vs. Sun, July 28
Washington looks different and so does the team they beat in the Finals last season. The Connecticut Sun upended its roster and - with Jonquel Jones sitting out - now has DeWonna Bonner as the new focal point of their offense.
That's a big change.
But still, it's a rematch of the 2019 WNBA Finals and there will be several familiar faces. Will the Sun be able to stop Meesseman in this contest (7 p.m. ET)?
3. Mystics vs. Mercury, Aug. 23
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough played a pretty significant role off the bench last year for the Mystics but was traded to New York in a move that brought former WNBA MVP Tina Charles to Washington. Eventually, the Liberty waived Walker-Kimbrough and that's where Phoenix picked her up.
It all worked out for her because the Mercury has one of the best rosters this year. They could very well be the Storm's biggest threat to winning the title this season. How much will Walker-Kimbrough want to ball out against her former team in their first meeting (10 p.m. ET)?
4. Mystics vs. Storm, Sept. 2
Another rematch, this time of the 2018 WNBA Finals. This will be the second and final head-to-head against the Storm and Mystics of the regular season. By this point, Washington should be well up to speed in their system. They definitely don't forget getting swept in the Finals two years ago.
Also, this game (10 p.m. ET) will have some sort of playoff implications at this point in the season. There will be just a handful of games left in the season and surely one team will need this win.
5. Mystics vs. Liberty, Sept. 12
If there's one thing to know about this year's No. 1 overall pick Sabrina Ionescu, it's that you don't want to miss her. Ionescu and the Liberty have 16 nationally televised games this year out of 22 contests. She'll be looking to get her New York squad into the playoffs as both teams will be playing their final game (4 p.m. ET) of the season in this contest.
How will she fare against the defending champs? It will be one of her biggest tests on the year.
MORE MYSTICS NEWS:
- Bubble Adventure: Meesseman excited
- Essence Carson: She won't be silenced
- A Tough Start: Mystics 2020 schedule
5 must-see Mystics games on NBC Sports Washington originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
