Q. Weird season a little bit. When you look back and think about your 2025, what's going to stand out to you, and what do you kind of see as, I guess, building blocks to, all right, now this is done, now I can look at the future and focus on what I want to do moving forward kind of a thing?
JACY SHELDON: Yeah, I think looking back on it, I would say definitely the takeaways is this is an amazing organization, amazing group of girls, and from the top down, from the organization as a whole, they've been amazing and welcoming ever since I got here.
I know it's hard to welcome someone in the middle of the season, let alone a couple people, and they did an amazing job with it, especially having such a young group. So that was a pleasant surprise.
Got to know them a little more obviously as the season went on, not so much on the court, but that's soon to come hopefully. They're great. They honestly want each other to do well and they get excited when each other succeed, and that's something you want in a team and it's something you want to be a part of.
For me I'm just happy to be here, looking forward to getting healthy now. That'll be the building blocks. And we have a lot of off-season plans and I'm excited for those and I think the girls are too. That'll be looking forward, that's our goal coming ahead soon.
Q. How do you feel? How is the health coming along, and what kind of stage do you feel you are in as far as kind of getting back to being yourself? I know we've talked a lot to Syd about you playing 3-on-3. I don't know if you're closer to feeling like yourself and being able to do 5-on-5 stuff. Where are you along that rehab journey?
JACY SHELDON: Yeah, it's going well and we're progressing really well. Hopefully progress soon to these next couple weeks coming up.
But I think at this point it's just listening to your body, which I've learned to be good at the past couple years. Definitely grown in that area, and I think at this level it's important.
Now going into the off-season it's just about being smart and listening to how the body feels every day. I'm someone who loves to get out there every day and get better, so it's been hard for sure.
But the girls have made it easier. The training staff here has been absolutely amazing. Organization has been behind all of us. So that makes everything a lot easier.
But like you said, I'm just excited to get back out there soon.
Q. You kind of said we've got plans for this off-season. Could you share a little bit of that? I don't know if you plan to be here or what those plans are, as much as you can share. And just also in the future, your kind of role within this organization. You're still under contract. Have you guys had conversations about, hey, yeah, we see you as being part of these young building blocks that we're putting together moving forward? Have you had those kind of future conversations with the organization?
JACY SHELDON: Yeah, absolutely. I think off-season, me personally, I'll be going back from Ohio to D.C., back and forth so I'll be around D.C. a lot and I think a lot of the girls will as well. That's something we're excited about, just to continue to build our chemistry as a young group, like you mentioned.
I think we've honestly had those conversations as a team and it's exciting, and it's also really great that we can be so open with each other and discuss obviously the future of this team.
So I think looking ahead we're excited to move ahead with this young group, and we also have some really great veteran leaders too. You just talked to one, and they've made a huge difference on this team.
For us and for me, too, as well, been people to look up to who have been in this league a long time. But like I said, just continuing to build and build the chemistry with one another. We have a lot of new pieces, and I think that'll be the focus moving into this off-season.
Q. I don't know if your ankle plays a part in it, but do you have any off-season plans playing anywhere?
JACY SHELDON: Yeah, I actually should be healthy hopefully. I think it starts mid January playing Athletes Unlimited. It's in Nashville this year. Couple-week league. I'm excited about it. This is my first time doing it, so I'm looking forward to it.
Q. Athletes Unlimited is a very unique type of experience. What are you trying to get out of that?
JACY SHELDON: Just getting better. Obviously it's 5-on-5 so you're getting runs, you're getting up and down, and you've got an opportunity to get better every day, which is something I'm excited about. That doesn't start in January; that starts tomorrow.
And for me specifically, whenever I can get back out there and get healthy. Like I said, just an opportunity to better your game in all aspects and play with some new people too and get a feel for the game again, so that'll be exciting.
Q. I know you just want to integrate yourself with this group and find out how things work, but then you get hurt your second game in. Do you feel like you've been able to leave a good impression with these coaches in your limited time out there? Do you feel like you got a good chance to leave an impression?
JACY SHELDON: I hope so. No, I do. They've been amazing. Like you mentioned, it's hard coming to a new place and obviously getting hurt so early. But I've gotten to know them very well on and off the court and had a lot of conversations with them, which is important as people and as players.
I think that's something that separates our coaching staff, the togetherness they bring and that they show and that they just preach every day, and it really shows with this group. It showed right when I got here just how much fun they have and how much fun they have with each other and how the joy spreads beyond basketball.
So that part is awesome. Like I said, just I think it's special when you get excited for each other when you do well and you want each other to succeed out there as a team.
That was amazing coming in and seeing that, and like I mentioned before, them welcoming me in with open arms. I'm appreciative of that. I do want to get out on the floor with them, though. I think that's the goal now.
Q. You've been in three organizations now. What has stood out to you about this Mystics organization that maybe you didn't expect or was refreshing to you?
JACY SHELDON: Yeah, when I came here, I told them I've been watching them from afar. You watch on-court live action from afar obviously you don't know what it's like in the locker room and off the court, and I think for me, that was a pleasant surprise, just witnessing the togetherness, the culture they have, and the open communication that they share throughout the entire season, which is a lot of ups and downs.
I think that's special, and I think that's something that every organization strives for in this league, and being able to step in here and seeing that the first day I got here is pretty cool, and definitely credit to this organization.
Like I said, they did an amazing job of welcoming the newcomers check right off the bat. Excited to continue to build those relationships and get to know everyone better.
Q. Through transitions, trades, et cetera in your career and through the injury, you've been remarkably positive. I'm curious about where it comes from and how does it fuel you on a day-to-day basis?
JACY SHELDON: That's a great question. Yeah, I've dealt with a lot of change throughout my career so far, and I would say my sister has made it a little easier for me. She's 17 now, which she's getting old, but she has downs syndrome and went through a lot at a very young age because of that and was able to carry herself with so much joy and affect so many people. Still to this day.
And I kind of grew up watching that, obviously grew up with her by my side and seeing this and kind of changes your perspective of things. For me especially just looking at every opportunity as you get to instead of, oh, I got traded, I have to go here. You get to do this. It totally changes how you look at life, and I would absolutely credit that to her.
So it's made everything a little easier, and obviously coming into an organization like this also makes it a lot easier when they're so welcoming. But yeah, without her, I don't know what it would have looked like, so she's been my rock throughout my whole life, honestly, and she has no idea. But she's been the light for me.
Q. Thinking about the short time that you've had in D.C., you've already said that you really enjoy this city and the organization. Just kind of an open-ended question, what have you found in your short time here that you've really said, this is the kind of place I want to be?
JACY SHELDON: Yeah, on or off the court? In general? Getting hurt so early, I didn't get a lot of time to explore, so that was a bummer. But we're right downtown and the city is beautiful.
Obviously a lot going on, a lot of places to go. By the water is beautiful. That was really cool to see. I hadn't really been here and explored before. That was awesome. It's an amazing city.
Then just how I mentioned this culture here and the girls and the togetherness, I didn't mention the resilience either, which is huge. Everybody here is a competitor. We have fun, and we love each other, but we compete, and I think that's what it's all about.
When you have both those things and still are able to share that care and love for each other, that's pretty cool, and excited now moving into the off-season to hopefully be a part of that and step out there and compete with them because that builds chemistry on and off the floor, too, so that's been really cool to witness.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports