The most elusive WNBA playoff ticket is not found in Indianapolis or New York or Dallas. Instead? Nowhere is harder (or more expensive) to get in than D.C.
When the Mystics host Game 2 of the first round on Wednesday, they will do so at their usual home of CareFirst Arena in Southeast D.C., which is among the smallest in the WNBA with a capacity of just 4,200. It will be the smallest arena hosting a playoff game in the league this year.
The only team with a smaller home than the Mystics is their current playoff opponent, the Atlanta Dream, but they have moved their postseason games so far to a much larger facility in State Farm Arena, ordinarily the home of the NBA’s Hawks. But a similar move will not be made this round for the Mystics to play at Capital One Arena, the home of the Wizards and Capitals.
The low capacity for a big game has contributed to high prices for the Mystics’ first playoff home game since 2019. As of Tuesday morning, fans could get in the door of every other upcoming WNBA playoff game for no more than $65, according to Ticketmaster. Meanwhile, the cheapest Mystics ticket available was $192.88. (That number was even higher before the Mystics’ loss in Game 1 on Sunday.)
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Fans were quick to react to the prices — and the fact that Capitol One is hosting a Jonas Brothers concert the night of the game.
“I mean, good for [the Mystics],” one user wrote, “but … can the Jonas brothers cancel their concert?”
There are larger facilities in the region that have previously hosted the Mystics, including Capital One. (The Mystics, Capitals and Wizards are all owned by Monumental Sports and Entertainment.) While the arena was closed for renovations this summer, it reopened in late September, and the Mystics played their last game of the regular season there.
In response to questions from The Washington Sun about whether management considered blocking off Capital One for potential WNBA playoff dates or whether there had been any discussion of moving the concert, Monumental Sports and Entertainment replied with a statement:
“Capital One Arena hosts more than 200 events on average each year, including full home schedules for three team tenants, world-class concerts and a wide range of special events — all while continuing the transformation of the arena. Dates and venue needs must be coordinated across several teams, leagues, promoters and other partners, often months or years in advance. We will continue working closely with the Mystics and the league to identify opportunities to host Mystics games at Capital One Arena in future seasons.”
The Mystics have played most of their home games at CareFirst since 2019. (Previously, they played at Capital One, where strong attendance in their early years dipped as the league struggled in the late 2000s and early 2010s.) The building is owned and operated by the city government through Events DC. It also serves as the Wizards’ practice facility and as the home of the G League Capital City Go-Go.
As the WNBA has grown over the last few years, Washington’s arena has become the subject of increased discussion. By next year, 10 of the 15 WNBA teams will be playing in NBA or NHL arenas that seat at least 15,000. (Another three are in arenas with a capacity of more than 10,000.) CareFirst Arena’s size made it something of an outlier in the WNBA even when it was brand new. It has only become more so in the years since. Every home game for the Mystics at CareFirst has been sold out since 2024.
Their lease to play in the building runs through 2037.
But that has previously come up for debate. Monumental proposed moving the team into a bigger arena just a few years ago. In 2023, when the organization tried moving the Wizards and Capitals to a new facility in Virginia, part of the plan involved moving the Mystics to Capital One. Ownership described the franchise as growing too fast to stay in place for long.
“Fortunately, women’s sports are ascendent, experiencing significant growth. The Mystics regularly sell out their home games,” Monumental CEO Ted Leonsis wrote in a January 2024 letter about the proposal. “Unfortunately, the Mystics and its dedicated fan base are outgrowing the Entertainment and Sports Arena,” the old name of CareFirst.
The D.C. government pushed back on the team leaving the arena before the expiration of the lease. Ultimately, the plan was scuttled in March 2024, and Monumental instead reached a deal with D.C. to keep the Capitals and Wizards at Capital One Arena until 2050. That has left the Mystics in place at CareFirst.
Wednesday night will mark the first home playoff game for the franchise since the 2019 WNBA Finals. (The Mystics qualified for the playoffs in 2022 and ’23 but were swept out of the first round both times before having the chance to host a game.) In a best-of-three series, Wednesday’s Game 2 is do-or-die for Washington, who pulled off a remarkable turnaround this year. The Mystics say they expect their small house to be very full and very, very loud.
“You feed off that energy and that enthusiasm,” head coach Sydney Johnson said at practice on Tuesday. “D.C. loves this team.”
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