Jacy

Sheldon

Sheldon has been ruled out for Washington’s final game of the season, again meaning more playing time for reserves Jade Melbourne and Lucy Olsen. Acquired from the Sun at the August trade deadline, Sheldon only appeared in two games for the Mystics. In 30 combined appearances this season, she averaged 7.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.2 three-pointers in 23.6 minutes. Sheldon shot nearly 40 percent from three this season, making 41.2 percent of her attempts with the Sun.

Sheldon’s absence due to an ankle injury continues, as she has not appeared in a game since August 13. Washington concludes its season on Tuesday against the Liberty, and with no postseason on the horizon, the motivation to play Sheldon may not be there. Lucy Olsen and Jade Melbourne will again pick up additional minutes off the bench.

Sheldon has not appeared in a game since injuring her ankle during an August 13 loss to the Valkyries and is without a timeline for return. Her extended absence has resulted in additional minutes for rookie Lucy Olsen, who played 25 minutes against the Sparks on Sunday. Look for Olsen and Jade Melbourne to continue to pick up extra minutes off the bench.

Sheldon last appeared in a game on August 13, when she was injured during a loss to the Valkyries. With the second-year guard lacking a concrete return timeline and the Mystics officially eliminated from postseason contention, there should be little motivation to rush Sheldon back into action. Lucy Olsen, who played 20 minutes in Saturday’s loss to the Valkyries, is one player whose opportunities have increased with Sheldon unavailable.

Sheldon will miss her sixth straight game against the Storm at home on Sunday afternoon. Jade Melbourne has picked up extended minutes coming off the bench in her absence. While Sheldon has been designated as day-to-day, she hasn’t begun any on court 3-on 3 work. The Mystics guard probably shouldn’t be expected back any time soon.

Sheldon will miss a fifth straight game due to a sprained right ankle suffered during an August 13 loss to Golden State. Mystics coach Sydney Johnson said Thursday that the guard still has not reached the point where she’s doing 3-on-3 work, which may not be the best sign regarding how close Sheldon is to a return. Starters Sug Sutton and Sonia Citron continue to approach, if not exceed, 30 minutes on a nightly basis, and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.

Thursday’s game will be the fourth game in a row that Sheldon has missed since spraining her right ankle during an August 13 loss to the Valkyries. Without Sheldon unavailable, wing Lucy Olson will continue to get meaningful minutes off the bench. Madison Scott should also earn some minutes off the bench after she played in 10 minutes against the Sparks on Sunday.

Tuesday’s game will be the third Sheldon has missed since spraining her right ankle during an August 13 loss to the Valkyries. Lucy Olsen is available to play more minutes off the bench, and 7-day contract recipient Madison Scott is also available to play rotation minutes.

Sheldon appeared to tweak her right ankle during Wednesday’s loss to the Valkyries. While Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson said after the game that he believed Sheldon was fine, the guard will not play on Friday. The Mystics signed Madison Scott to a 7-day contract on Thursday, and she may play rotation minutes off the bench in Sheldon’s absence.

After the team decided to trade Brittney Sykes to the Storm, the Mystics needed to strengthen their perimeter depth. Adding Sheldon to the fold will help, as the 2024 first-round pick logged consistent rotation minutes for the Sun this season. Moved to the bench after the All-Star break, Sheldon has averaged 7.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.3 three-pointers in 24.1 minutes per game. With the Mystics also rebuilding, Sheldon should receive ample opportunities the rest of the season. Regarding the first-round pick swap, Washington will be able to swap the pick it will receive from Minnesota for the pick Connecticut will receive from New York, with the Lynx currently owning the best record in the WNBA.