‘The opportunity of my life’: How Alicia Flórez has made a strong first impression with the Washington Mystics

[u/randysf50]

https://www.theixsports.com/the-ix-basketball-newsroom/wnba/washington-mystics/alicia-florez-washington-mystics-developmental-player-wnba-spain/

WASHINGTON — Before Alicia Flórez made her WNBA debut with the Washington Mystics on Wednesday, the team had seen her play well for weeks in practice. She’d been so good, in fact, that point guard Georgia Amoore joked with The IX Basketball that Flórez was talking trash during those workouts.

Flórez does talk trash while playing in her home country of Spain, she told The IX Basketball on Friday. But as a WNBA rookie, she’s kept quiet, not wanting to rock the boat.

However, Flórez has rocked the boat on the court almost from the moment she checked into her first game. As a developmental player, she can be active for up to 12 games this season before the Mystics have to decide whether to play on without her or give her a standard contract, which comes with a spot on the full 12-player roster. She has been active for the past two games and is averaging 7.0 points, 5.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game.

“Her performance reflects how we want to play here in D.C.,” head coach Sydney Johnson told reporters after a 5-point loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday. “I mean, this is a young woman who plays with incredible intensity, so there’s the toughness there and the fight. … She’s trying to find other players, and she’s talking to them and working well with them. …

“So toughness and togetherness, who could have known that she would bring that so quickly? But it’s been nice to see.”

Flórez just turned 22 in April, yet this is her sixth professional season. The other five have come in Spain, as she rose from the country’s third-highest league in 2021-22 to its top league, Liga Femenina Endesa, last winter. Last season, the 5’9 point guard averaged 11.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game for Ensino Lugo, finishing in the top five leaguewide in the latter two categories.

[u/KeepOnPushin90]

I don’t even know why her contract hasn’t been converted yet. She should be starting on Tuesday.

[u/Sequel_Everyday → u/KeepOnPushin90]

Why rush it when you can give her the full 12 game audition?

[u/WrongVisit3757 → u/Sequel_Everyday]

The team only gets 24 games for development players across the season, so it would be silly to spend half those on a player they know should play

[u/Valuable-Fox-4908]

i love her! hope she gets a spot but also hope she doesn't replace amoore.

[u/Apprehensive_Bus_134 → u/Valuable-Fox-4908]

Sameeee