Posts by Jenn Hatfield

Jenn Hatfield has been a contributor to The Next since December 2018 and is currently the site's managing editor, Washington Mystics beat reporter and Ivy League beat reporter. Her work has also appeared at FiveThirtyEight, Her Hoop Stats, FanSided, Power Plays and Princeton Alumni Weekly.

Washington Mystics guard Brittney Sykes defends Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams, who is dribbling the ball. Mystics center/forward Shakira Austin is ready to help in the paint, and guard Karlie Samuelson defends on the wing.

For Washington Mystics, a ‘clunky’ game is a good sign as three starters return

August 16, 2024

Brittney Sykes, Shakira Austin and Karlie Samuelson all returned to action on Thursday after the Olympic break

Washington Mystics head coach Eric Thibault draws up a play on a permanent whiteboard at the team's practice facility as his players look on.

Washington Mystics’ practices during Olympic break blend work and play

August 3, 2024

The Mystics’ Olympians are in Paris, but the rest are playing Olympic games of their own

Washington Mystics point guard Julie Vanloo smiles, sticks her tongue out, and holds both hands with her thumbs and two fingers sticking out.

Julie Vanloo is quietly rewriting rookie records with the Washington Mystics

July 24, 2024

‘She’s someone who deserves to be here and has shown that every single day’

After her first game in Washington against her former team, Phoenix Mercury guard Natasha Cloud raises her left hand in the air and puts her right hand over her heart to acknowledge the crowd.

Competitive fire, nostalgia duel in Natasha Cloud, Kristi Toliver’s D.C. homecoming

July 18, 2024

Cloud: ‘Y’all was trying to get my thug tears today’

Washington Mystics guard Ariel Atkins shoots a left-handed jump shot as Las Vegas Aces center Kiah Stokes arrives too late to get a hand up.

With career-high 36 points, Mystics’ Ariel Atkins reminds WNBA how elite she is

July 15, 2024

Eric Thibault: ‘It was probably just a bigger version of what she’s always done’

Game photos of the three Washington Mystics players who received Olympic berths are displayed side-by-side. On the left, Julie Vanloo grins. In the center, Jade Melbourne dribbles the ball with her right hand. On the right, Aaliyah Edwards looks off to her right as her ponytail hangs in the air.

‘A summer full of dreams’: How three Mystics players reacted to Olympic berths

July 13, 2024

Aaliyah Edwards, Jade Melbourne and Julie Vanloo will all represent their national teams — and the Mystics — in Paris

Washington Mystics guard Ariel Atkins shoots a left-handed jump shot as a Minnesota Lynx defender tries to avoid making contact from behind.

‘It had been coming’: Explaining the Washington Mystics’ growth in their past 11 games

July 11, 2024

On June 10, the Mystics were 0-12. Since then, they’ve had a winning record

Washington Mystics center Stefanie Dolson smiles, shouts and clenches both fists in celebration.

How Stefanie Dolson has impacted the Mystics behind — and beyond — the 3-point line

July 4, 2024

‘She’s very, very good at what she does’

Washington Mystics point guard Brittney Sykes and wing Karlie Samuelson are photographed from behind. Sykes has a hand out in front of her as she talks.

Taking stock of the Washington Mystics’ mounting injuries

June 27, 2024

Three starters, you’re out

Washington Mystics guard Ariel Atkins is shown from behind as she chest bumps forward Emily Engstler.

After instability in her WNBA career, Mystics’ Emily Engstler finds her ‘magic’ in a weekend back-to-back

June 24, 2024

Engstler’s career performances came at exactly the right time for shorthanded Mystics