Jamila Wideman out as Washington Mystics general manager

Jamila Wideman is out as washington mystic After one season on the general manager job, the team made the announcement on Monday.

The decision comes on the first day of wnba free agency. A league source told ESPN that it was created by monumental basketball president Michael Winger and was the result of serious strategic differences. As the team prepared for free agency, the misaligned visions became more apparent.

“Jamila has a long history in professional basketball, has made many thoughtful contributions to the Mystics, and we are grateful for the time and work she has contributed to the team,” the winger said in a statement. “At this time, we are looking forward to this historic new season for the WNBA and are focused on building lasting success in Washington. I have full confidence in the team we have and the team we will continue to build to lead us toward our goals.”

Coach Sidney Johnson, who is entering his second season with the Mystics, will take control of basketball operations with the support of the Mystics staff. Johnson has been praised for his player development expertise and culture-building in his first year of leadership.

The organization has not determined whether it will appoint someone to serve in a separate GM role in the long term.

Wideman was hired by the franchise in December 2024 after spending six years in the NBA league office. She was also part of the inaugural WNBA draft class.

The Mystics – who went 16-28 last season – are looking to build around their young core shakira austin, Sonia Citron And Kiki Iriafen. Citron and Iriafen, their 2025 lottery pick, were rookie All-Stars last season, helping the team play more competitively than expected with such a young roster.

Austin is a restricted free agent, but Washington is hopeful he will return to the team. The 2022 lottery pick played a career-high 38 games in 2025 after battling injuries early in his career.

The team also has the 2025 No. 6 pick under contract georgia amurJoe is recovering from an ACL injury that kept him out of his entire rookie campaign; jesse sheldonJoe appeared in two games for the Mystics after a late-season trade; and second round pick lucy olsen.

With free agency tipping this week — talks could begin as soon as Wednesday — the Mystics are trying to surround their young players with high-level, proven talent, a source said.

They currently have three first-round picks in the 2026 college draft – No. 4, No. 9 (via Seattle) and No. 11 (via New York).