The Washington Mystics continue to strive to play their best basketball.
Led behind a fairly new coaching staff, the team relies on their talent and the leadership of a specific few. One of those players is Lindsey Harding. Harding is arguably the top guard on the team based on her current performance.
Before The WNBA
Before the WNBA, Lindsey Harding was busy making a name for herself at Duke University. In her freshman season, she was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team and averaged 6.2 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game.
She set a Duke freshman record of 124 assists and was second on that same list with 68 steals. Her sophomore season saw more success, as she was the starting point guard in 33 of 34 games. Harding averaged 6.8 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, and 4.9 assists per game.
She was one of six Blue Devils to earn the ACC Top Six For Service Award and won All-ACC Defensive Team honors. She redshirted the 2003-04 season for not following team rules. She came back the next season ready to play and was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
She averaged 10.7 points per game and 4.5 assists per game and started every game. In her senior season, Harding was named the Naismith and ESPN.com National Player of the Year, WBCA National Defensive Player of the Year, the Nancy Lieberman Award, ACC Player of the Year, and ACC Defensive Player of the Year amongst other awards.
Last Season
Last season was a consistent season for Harding. She will be starting her fifth season in the WNBA with the start of the upcoming season. In the previous season with the Mystics, Harding started all 34 games of the season.
While playing in those games, she averaged about 33.2 minutes of play per game. She used her time well and averaged 12.1 points per game. In addition to this, Harding also added 4 assists per game, 3 rebounds per game, and 1.4 steals per game. Her shooting was also fairly accurate as she went 44.5% from the field and 76.6% from the free throw line. Harding has continued to work hard in the offseason to improve her skills and will compete hard in the upcoming season.
Playoffs
The playoffs this season were not as well played as the regular season, but Harding still made her mark. The Mystics only played in two playoff games this season, but Harding started both games. In the games the team played, she averaged 33.5 minutes per game.
In her time of play, she averaged 10.5 points per game. To add to that, she also contributed 3 assists per game, 2.5 rebounds per game, and 2 steals per game. Her shooting wasn’t as successful as she has proven she can be, but Harding was 40% from behind the three-point arc and 62.5% from the free throw line.
In both games, she was a stifling 21.9% from the field. Harding has high hopes for the upcoming season and postseason play and is working extremely hard to make sure her team is successful.