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"Why we ain't hire Kristi Toliver" - Washington Mystics fans skeptic over team hiring former Sky assistant as head coach
The Washington Mystics hired former Chicago Sky assistant coach Sydney Johnson as their next head coach on Monday. This came following the hiring of NBA senior vice president Jamila Wideman as the Mystic's general manager.
Eric Thibault was let go of the franchise after the 2024 WNBA season. He was promoted to head coach in 2022 after his father, Mike, retired from coaching basketball.
However, fans of the franchise weren't high on the move made by the Mystics.
"Why we ain't hire Panda (Kristi Tolliver) she has close ties to the organization, coach men, basketball and one chip here," one fan said.
"Another male head coach in the W. I am so angry and so disappointed," another fan commented.
Other fans on X (formerly Twitter) talked about their disappointment.
"The Mystics really paid a search team to come up with THIS guy?? SMH," a fan said.
"Another male coach...so disappointing…Womp womp 🤦♀️ 😒," another fan said.
"The WNBA has never been about the women especially black women," one fan said.
"Wow so all the coaches are men now…..odd stuff for sure," a fan said.
Also read: Fever executive stands up for Caitlin Clark after Washington Mystics owner's controversial remarks
The Washington Mystics introduce Jamila Wideman as new general manager
Along with the new head coach, the Washington Mystics also welcomed Jamila Wideman as part of their front office. Before joining the Mystics, the Wideman was the NBA's senior vice president of player development for six years.
Wideman oversaw the NBA’s player development initiatives as part of her role. She also "managed relationships with external organizations" and "spearheaded the league’s mental health and wellness platform."
Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger released a statement regarding Wideman's introduction to the franchise.
"Jamila’s breadth of experience, range of core competencies, and passion for developing the whole athlete, makes her the ideal person to usher in the new era of Mystics Basketball," Winger said. "We feel strongly that Jamila will be a bedrock for our athletes, coaches, and staff as they pursue another championship for the DMV."
Wideman played in the WNBA. She was the third pick in 1997 by the LA Sparks. She played with the Cleveland Rockers and Portland Fire. She went to play in Israel for Elitzur Ramla and returned to the WNBA to play for the Connecticut Sun.
In 2005, she played for the Spanish team PDV Ibiza.
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