Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger announced today that Sydney Johnson will guide the Washington Mystics on-court efforts as head coach.
Johnson brings 25 years of basketball experience to the Mystics. Most recently, he served as head coach of Team USA’s 3×3 Women’s AmeriCup team, which captured a silver medal at the 2024 FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Johnson has been a part of USA Basketball for the past five years. In 2023, he led the USA Basketball 3×3 U23 Men’s World Cup Team to its first ever gold medal and served as an assistant coach and scout for USA Basketball’s 2023 5×5 AmeriCup Qualifying Team.
“Having spoken extensively with new GM Jamila Wideman, Michael, and leadership – it is clear to me how committed they are to supercharging our efforts to win another WNBA Championship,” said Johnson. “As a team, we will carry the core values that drive this franchise – excellence, togetherness, joy, competitiveness, and accountability through everything we do – from the way we practice and play to how we show up in the community and engage and inspire our fanbase.”
Johnson spent the 2024 season as an assistant coach with the Chicago Sky. Before that, he spent eight years as the head coach of Fairfield University men’s basketball team (2011-2019), leading them to four postseason appearances – the most in school history. Johnson also served as associate head coach at the United States Air Force Academy.
Johnson started his coaching career as an assistant coach at Georgetown University and went on to serve as head coach at his alma mater, Princeton University, where Johnson earned consecutive Ivy League Coach of the Year Honors (2008-09, 2009-10). He spent his childhood in the Baltimore area and attended Towson Catholic High School.
Concurrent to his coaching roles, Johnson is the Vice President of Client Success at HD Intelligence, where he provides analytics, insights, and scouting support to Team USA and top collegiate programs, including 2024 NCAA champions – University of South Carolina and University of Connecticut.
A standout student-athlete, Johnson led Princeton to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (1995-96, 1996-97) and is the only three-time captain in Princeton men’s basketball history.
“Today’s appointments of Jamila and Sydney represent a pivotal moment for the Mystics and our fans – the best fans in the WNBA,” said Washington Mystics Owner and Monumental Sports & Entertainment Chairman and CEO Ted Leonsis. “As I commemorate 20 years as owner of the Mystics in 2025, I am energized by the vision Michael, Jamila, and Sydney have for instilling and driving a culture of performance, achievement, empathy, and innovation for many years to come.”
https://mystics.wnba.com/news/washington-mystics-announce-new-leadership
