WASHINGTON, D.C. – Teaming up with local and national organizations, the Washington Mystics continued their mission to make D.C. a District of Change by standing with those affected by gun violence, supporting the voiceless within the Pride community, and empowering the next generation of young athletes and voters. 

#WearOrange
In partnership with Everytown for Gun Safety Fund, the Mystics hosted their annual Wear Orange game on June 7 to raise awareness around gun violence in America and honor those whose lives have been affected. A movement came about in 2013 when 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton’s friends wore the color orange in her honor after she was shot and killed in Chicago. Now, Wear Orange is observed annually across America on the first Friday and the following weekend in June. 

Banding together with fellow DC professional teams, the Mystics pledged a donation of $100,000 last year to Peace For DC, a local non-profit organization. This season, before the Wear Orange game, the Mystics held a Courtside Conversation: Gun Violence Prevention discussion that brought together a diverse group of community leaders, activists, survivors, and advocates to share their perspectives on gun violence prevention. The panel featured a live performance, mural painting, and enthralling insights from guests such as Nathalie Arzu, the Program Manager for Everytown For Gun Safety, Tia Bell, the Founder of FOuR, LLC and T.R.I.G.G.E.R. Project–and more. 

Assist DC
Assembling the ultimate assist, Washington once again teamed up with Stackwell to present the Mystics Assist DC program. For every assist made by a Mystics player this season, $25 was donated to College Track Southeast D.C, eventually surpassing our goal of $20,000 in monetary donations to conclude the 2024 season.

In 2020, College Track unveiled its first center in the District of Columbia–welcoming more than 60 students from five neighboring high schools. By serving students from low-income communities who will become the first in their family to graduate from college, College Track fulfills the promise of higher education for generations to come. 

Pride Initiatives
One of the most popular theme nights returned on June 22 as fans showed up and showed out at the annual Pride game with the Mystics, an unapologetic celebration to uplift the LGBTQIA+ community. The day featured the second installment of the team’s Brunch & Basketball series with a special Pride-themed brunch at Sycamore & Oak, new Pride merchandise, and the latest Sticsclusive Apparel, a new limited-edition apparel collection Washington launched this season.

Throughout the 2023-24 fiscal year, Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s (MSE) produced over $60K in donations to LGBTQIA+ causes in the DMV region. Uniting forces, MSE sports teams, MSE Foundation–and Unity, the LGBTQ+-focused and employee-led collective, engage in numerous activities to help empower all who identify on the spectrum in continued allyship. 

“We strive to be more than allies – we’re fierce advocates for the LGBTQ+ community, partnering with those who share our commitment,” said Kimberly Harris, Director of Community Health and Social Impact at CareFirst. “The collaboration with Monumental Sports and Entertainment has been a great addition to our support of local organizations, like SMYAL, that serve this community and advance culturally inclusive care.” 

Voting Advocacy
Returning with an all-new format for the 2024 season, the fourth annual Commissioner’s Cup tipped off in June for two weeks with teams facing off against their conference competitors. Players competed for a prize pool and an additional pool of money for charitable and civic organizations.

Earlier this season, the Washington Mystics announced their partnership with the League of Women Voters (LWV), a 104-year-old voting rights organization, for this year’s Commissioner’s Cup tournament. Promoting civic engagement not only on the court, but at the polls. With active Leagues in all 50 states and more than 750 local volunteer chapters nationwide, the League of Women Voters also works in communities across the country to empower everyone to fully participate in our democracy.

“Elections – at every level – have consequences for our community,” said Alycen McAuley, Washington Mystics Chief Business Officer. “We hope our partnership with the League of Women Voters and the extraordinary resources they’ve complied in the VOTE411 platform enable our fans to become even more knowledgeable about the issues facing our communities across the District, Maryland and Virginia. Mystics fans know the District of Change starts with all of us.”