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The business of professional sports can be brutal sometimes, and that was apparent when the Washington Mystics shipped Ariel Atkins to the Chicago Sky on Feb. 23. The two-time All-Star was asked on Tuesday if the Mystics' new brass spoke to her about the trade beforehand, via The Washington Post's Kareem Copeland.
“Not necessarily,” she revealed.
The trade made sense for Washington's rebuild, as it received the No. 3 overall pick in 2025 as well as a 2027 second-rounder and a 2027 first-round pick swap. However, it's unfortunate that Atkins was blindsided after seven seasons with the team and helping it win the 2019 WNBA Finals.
With that being said, the 28-year-old did at least have some communication with Washington's new regime.
“I have spoken to them. I think they [had] been there for a month,” Atkins said. “So I did have conversations with them. And obviously I know [general manager] Jamila [Wideman], she's done some work on the NBA side with mental health and advocacy. So I definitely have talked to them before.”
Part of the challenge with WNBA players is that they often play overseas during the offseason, so it can be difficult to maintain a dialogue if they're on the other side of the world.
“About kind of like the background conversations, they were obviously conversations I wasn't a part of. I mean, I was out in Turkey playing, so that was kind of hard with the time difference and everything,” the five-time All-Defensive honoree said. “But, again, at the end of the day, I'm really thankful for the opportunity to be a part of an organization that is taking it very seriously and going in the right direction.”
Atkins hooped for Fenerbahce S.K. of the Turkish Women's Basketball League before signing a relief player contract with Unrivaled's Rose BC on Feb. 21, so she's been busy since the WNBA campaign ended. Still, it may behoove the Mystics' front office to find a way to communicate with its club legends about their future before moving them. It's not required, but it's good form.
The road can be bumpy for any new administration, though, and it has plenty of time to grow.
Ariel Atkins reflects on off-court Mystics legacy
Asked about how she grew during her time in Washington, Atkins mentioned her off-court endeavors.
“I think the biggest thing is my ability to get into the community. I've said it before and I'll always preach it, I think the D.C. community wrapped their arms around me,” the 2020 Olympic gold medalist said. “It took a simple phone call for me to kind of get adjusted and into the community with the Boys and Girls Club. They literally just wrapped their arms around me and was like, whatever you can give we'll take.”
Atkins created the Entrepreneurship and Apparel Making program with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington (BGCGW) to teach young people about entrepreneurship and leadership, via 2K Foundations. The BGCGW publicly thanked Atkins for her help and wished her well in a goodbye message on Tuesday, via Instagram.
“For me, that was huge because I was trying to figure out how to not just be a basketball player in a sense of not just wearing the jersey. I wanted the kiddos to see me as a human being and understand that life is just bigger than basketball,” Atkins continued. “So I think that'll be my biggest takeaway. Obviously, I have some lifelong friendships and I've created a family there, so it'll be nice to continue those relationships and see how they flourish and grow. But I think the biggest thing is just the community. You can go down from the artist to the kids to school board of education. There's so many people that just wrapped their arms around me and allowed me to be my complete, full self in the city.”
Another unfortunate side of the business is losing local community leaders like Atkins. Part of the beauty of sports is that athletes have the platform and means to help the next generation and those in need. When a player like that gets traded, they don't get to spend as much time with the people they connected with off the court or field.
At the same time, this deal now arms the Mystics with three of the top six picks in the upcoming draft, and those rookies will get the same chances to impact the city that Atkins did. The closing of one door can lead to several new ones opening.
