The Washington Mystics have traded their All-Star player, Brittney Sykes. Despite being close to securing a spot in the 2025 WNBA playoffs, the Mystics decided to let go of Sykes, who joins the Seattle Storm in exchange for Alysha Clark and a 2026 first-round pick. Sykes arguably had her best season in her career this year, suiting up for the Mystics. She notched her first All-Star appearance, averaging 15.4 points, 4.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals. To acquire someone like Clark, who's only averaging 3.5 ppg and 2.4 rpg in the twilight years of her career, has left many scratching their heads. Fans expressed their thoughts on the Mystics' surprising decision to trade Brittney Sykes on social media. Here's what some fans said on X/Twitter. "Damn Paige and Sonia losing their friends man," one fan said. "I’ll never understand the WNBA," another fan wrote. Here are some more reactions from fans on X: "If they can’t improve with Sykes that coach definitely needs to be gone ..too much talent the last two years to be mediocre," one fan said."Storm need a legit knockdown 3 point shooter not an inconsistent scorer but getting rid of Clark was a must," another fan added."They lost to a fever team without cc and knew they had to make a move quick," one fan commented."Great move. Mystics add vocal veteran presence while grabbing FRP next year, focusing on rebuild around timelines of key rookies Citron and Iriafen," another fan said.Washington Mystics leaning toward youth after Brittney Sykes trade Brittney Sykes is one of the best defensive players in the WNBA today and is considered to be in the prime of her career. However, it seems the Washington Mystics have envisioned something else for their future after deciding to go in a different direction, trading Sykes to the Seattle Storm. While there's no doubt that the Mystics pulled off a shocking move, analyzing their intentions, it seems that they're leaning towards acquiring younger players. Along with Alysha Clark being part of the deal, the Mystics also acquired Zia Cooke. With the rookie Sonia Citron now clearly being the face of the Mystics, it seems that Washington wants to have a youthful appearance next season. Acquiring the first-round pick from the Storm for next year's draft will surely help them secure key pieces that should perfectly fit with Citron's playstyle.