WNBA Draft recap: Azzi picked first, shocking trade and a historic moment
Sam Cardona-Norberg was on the orange carpet at the WNBA Draft and she has all the highlights for those who missed it.
Washington Mystics forward Cotie McMahon won’t start the 2026 WNBA season this weekend.
On Thursday, the Mystics announced McMahon suffered a partial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tear in her left elbow on May 3 during a preseason matchup against the Atlanta Dream. It’s unclear when McMahon may have been injured. She finished with 27 minutes of playing time, scoring nine points on 50% shooting and two steals.
McMahon will receive treatment on her elbow and is expected to be reevaluated within a week. The Mystics will provide updates on the forward’s status at that time.
McMahon, who was drafted with the 11th overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, started 36 games for the Ole Miss Rebels during the 2025-2026 season, averaging 19.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. She also earned All-SEC First Team honors, was named to the SEC All-Tournament Team and was tapped as the SEC Newcomer of the Year.
Before her stint with the Rebels, McMahon spent three seasons at Ohio State University, where she started 97 games and averaged 15.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists.
McMahon’s injury marks the second consecutive year a Mystics first-round draft pick will miss part or all of their rookie season. In 2025, Guard Georgia, Amoore, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during an April practice. Amoore missed her entire rookie season.
“From a depth standpoint, there’s some minutes there that we thought Georgia would be able to play,” head coach Sydney Johnson said at the time. “We’ll have to look forward to that in 2026.”
Washington opens its 2026 season on the road on Friday, May 8, at 7:30 p.m. ET. It will take on the expansion Toronto Tempo at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto.
