Swag lag: Mystics championship gear tough to find

Part of the fun of supporting a local sports champion is wearing the championship T-shirts and hats the players wore immediately after the game. But for Washington Mystics fans determined to pick up swag the next day, it’s been tough. Though fans at the Entertainment and Sports Arena were able to purchase the gear immediately after the team won the WNBA Finals over the Connecticut Sun, as well as during Friday afternoon’s celebrations at the arena, longtime and bandwagon fans didn’t have the option to pick up morning-after championship swag at their local sporting goods store. Unlike when the Washington Capitals won the Stanley Cup in 2018, local Modell’s and Dick’s sporting goods contacted by WTOP had no immediate plans to sell Mystics championship gear Friday. Even a visit to the Capital One Arena team store, owned by Monumental Sports, which also owns the Mystics, didn’t have championship gear on hand Friday morning. Owner Ted Leonsis suggested fans buy their championship gear online.

“It’s a shame that sports such as women’s basketball are viewed in such a light that fans don’t have immediate access to championship gear,” said Steve Winter, president of Brotman/Winter/Fried Communications. “It’s an issue that’s faced by all sports teams that are considered ‘second tier’ — lacrosse, minor league baseball, even to some extent professional soccer,” he said. “Mystics fans should be able to wear — proudly — their WNBA championship swag.”