As Monumental eyes Virginia for DC sports teams, Mystics could move downtown

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — As plans heat up by Monumental Sports and Entertainment to move the Washington Wizards and the Capitals out of Capital One Arena and to a new sports complex in Virginia, some worry about the consequences for D.C.’s Ward 8 community.

As part of his proposed plan, owner Ted Leonsis said he’d like to move the Washington Mystics, which currently play at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Southeast, to the Capital One Arena.

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In a statement, a spokesperson for Monumental Sports and Entertainment said:

“Monumental Sports (MSE) appreciates the passion of fans and we are in the business of sports because we share in the belief of its power to bring communities together. Under this proposed plan, MSE would continue to invest directly – with no public funding – in maintaining Capital One Arena’s standing as one of the busiest arenas in the nation. And we envision it to serve as the WNBA’s Washington Mystics’ future home.

The fandom of women’s sports has exploded in recent years and the Mystics are consistently selling out their home games. We believe we can create a tailored gameday experience for that expanding fanbase and provide the space for this championship-winning team to continue growing the franchise to play for 10,000 fans within 3-5 years.”

But, fans in Ward 8 aren’t having it.

“They’re going to lose a lot of fans because Ward 8 is the heart of Washington, D.C.,” said Kevin Anderson, who has lived in Ward 8 his entire life

Anderson believes the team should stay put.

“By having that team over there, it’s brought stability,” he said. “Why would you want to move that? Why would you want to disturb what’s flourishing? That’s the Mystics. That’s Ward 8.”

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The WNBA team began playing at the Southeast arena in 2019.

The District invested millions of dollars to help build the facility, which was intended to act as a catalyst for the St. Elizabeth’s East Campus. To date, housing and retail space has opened in the surrounding area.

“All the promises that were made by Leonsis and Monumental, that this team would spark growth in Southeast, and it has already,” said activist and business owner Ron Moten, with Don’t Mute DC. “We have 13 black businesses and entrepreneurs that are attached to the arena, or next door.”

Still, Moten fears moving the Mystics out will take that opportunity away, potentially devastating the area.

“We’d lose a jewel,” he said. “For Ted Leonsis to come here and then he turns around and says ‘goodbye.’ So, we breath air into his team and now he’s sucking the air out of our city.”

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According to the city, Monumental Sports and Entertainment has signed a multi-year lease to hold home games for the Mystics at the Southeast arena. St. Elizabeth’s said Monumental Sports is paying a rent of $400,000 per year.

In a statement, the Mayor’s Office wrote:

“The District’s contract with Monumental Sports requires that the Mystics play their home games and the Wizards hold their practices at the Entertainment and Sports Arena until 2037. The District honors its contracts, and we trust and expect our partners to do the same.

This partnership and the arena it built have been a catalyst for change in Ward 8, creating jobs and opportunity and paving the way for new housing, retail, and health care on the St. Elizabeths East Campus. The Mystics organization and players have been strong supporters of Ward 8, and the community has embraced the team right back. We look forward to continuing this shared success.”

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“Ya’ll brought them here. You knew what you got here, so don’t fix nothing that’s not broken. All it’s going to do is flourish, if you allow it,” said Anderson.

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