WASHINGTON, D.C. – WEBWIRE – Tuesday, December 24, 2024
Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger introduced right this moment that Jamila Wideman will lead the WNBAs Washington Mystics basketball operations as basic supervisor, whereas Sydney Johnson will information the groups on-court efforts as head coach.
Wideman joins the Mystics after spending six years on the NBA league workplace, the place she most just lately served as Senior Vice President of Participant Improvement. In her function, she oversaw the leagues participant growth initiatives, managed relationships with exterior organizations, and spearheaded the leagues psychological well being and wellness platform Thoughts Well being.
Jamilas breadth of expertise, vary of core competencies, and fervour for creating the entire athlete, makes her the best particular person to usher within the new period of Mystics Basketball. Collectively along with her participant connectivity, large image imaginative and prescient, and intimate information of the worldwide scope of our sport, we really feel strongly that Jamila might be a bedrock for our athletes, coaches, and workers as they pursue one other championship for the DMV, said Winger. Equally, Sydney brings an distinctive mixture of acumen, tenacity, and empathy that may elevate our play and impress the group across the new course for this championship franchise. His deep love of basketball and fervour for uplifting others make him a pure slot in our better Monumental Basketball ecosystem.
A member of the inaugural WNBA draft class, Wideman was chosen third total within the 1997 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks. Along with the Sparks, she has been a member of the Portland Fireplace and Cleveland Rockers. Wideman has worldwide expertise as properly, having competed professionally in Israel and Spain. A graduate of Stanford College, she helped lead the group to a few consecutive NCAA Last Fours (1995-1997).
I’ve sturdy roots within the WNBA and have had the privilege of enjoying with, working alongside, and witnessing the unbelievable people who find themselves the athletes on the heart of the sport, mentioned Wideman. The perfect I’ve seen share some core qualities curiosity, humility, and creativeness. I look ahead to constructing a Mystics group in partnership with the gamers, coaches, and workers that displays this core. I hope to create an area the place participant voices and aspirations are centered in all we do on and off the courtroom. We are going to construct with intention, humanity, and pleasure.
Following her enjoying profession, Wideman attended New York College Regulation College and went on to function a prison protection and civil rights lawyer for greater than a decade with the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) in Montgomery, Alabama and the Civil Division of the Authorized Assist of Society in New York Metropolis. Johnson brings 25 years of basketball expertise to the Mystics. Most just lately, he served as head coach of Crew USAs 33 Womens AmeriCup group, which captured a silver medal on the 2024 FIBA 33 AmeriCup in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Johnson has been part of USA Basketball for the previous 5 years. In 2023, he led the USA Basketball 33 U23 Mens World Cup Crew to its first ever gold medal and served as an assistant coach and scout for USA Basketballs 2023 55 AmeriCup Qualifying Crew.
Having spoken extensively with Jamila, Michael, and management it’s clear to me how dedicated they’re to supercharging our efforts to win one other WNBA Championship, mentioned Johnson. As a group, we are going to carry the core values that drive this franchise excellence, togetherness, pleasure, competitiveness, and accountability by all the pieces we do from the best way we follow and play to how we present up in the neighborhood and interact and encourage our fanbase.
Johnson spent the 2024 season as an assistant coach with the Chicago Sky. Earlier than that, he spent eight years as the top coach of Fairfield College mens basketball group (2011-2019), main them to 4 postseason appearances essentially the most at school historical past. Johnson additionally served as affiliate head coach at the US Air Power Academy.
Johnson began his teaching profession as an assistant coach at Georgetown College and went on to function head coach at his alma mater, Princeton College, the place Johnson earned consecutive Ivy League Coach of the Yr Honors (2008-09, 2009-10). He spent his childhood within the Baltimore space and attended Towson Catholic Excessive College.
Concurrent to his teaching roles, Johnson is the Vice President of Shopper Success at HD Intelligence, the place he gives analytics, insights, and scouting help to Crew USA and high collegiate packages, together with 2024 NCAA champions College of South Carolina and College of Connecticut.
A standout student-athlete, Johnson led Princeton to consecutive NCAA Event appearances (1995-96, 1996-97) and is the one three-time captain in Princeton mens basketball historical past.
There are few issues extra beneficial to me than tenacity, integrity, and excellence and people qualities are what make Jamila and Sydney stand above the group, said Monumental Sports activities & Leisure Associate Sheila C. Johnson. These extremely adorned, achieved, and world-class leaders will serve to empower and encourage our gamers by sustaining a championship tradition crammed with goal and compassion.
Todays appointments of Jamila and Sydney characterize a pivotal second for the Mystics and our followers the most effective followers within the WNBA, mentioned Washington Mystics Proprietor and Monumental Sports activities & Leisure Chairman and CEO Ted Leonsis. As I commemorate 20 years as proprietor of the Mystics in 2025, I’m energized by the imaginative and prescient Michael, Jamila, and Sydney have for instilling and driving a tradition of efficiency, achievement, empathy, and innovation for a few years to return.
The Mystics will formally introduce Wideman and Johnson to the media and the DMV within the coming weeks.
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