Truong Thao Vy, a rising star in basketball, was not included in the Washington Mystics’ official roster for the 2024 WNBA season. On April 16th, Thao Vy was selected by the Mystics as the 21st pick in the second round of the WNBA Draft 2024. She became the second Vietnamese-American athlete to join a professional American basketball club, following Jaylin Williams, who was picked 34th by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA.
However, after a month of training, the Mystics announced that they would be releasing Thao Vy (Kaylynne Truong), along with Jakia Browne-Turner and Elissa Cunane. Besides the intense competition, Thao Vy’s exclusion from the 12-player roster was partly due to an injury she sustained.
During pre-season training, Thao Vy competed against 12 players from the 2023 roster, two newly drafted players, Edwards Aaliyah and Nastja Claessens, and several other professional players. She participated in all training sessions and played in one exhibition game, scoring three points in nine minutes.
The Mystics retained only one rookie from the draft, Aaliyah, and successfully traded for point guard Jade Melbourne from the Seattle Storm, effectively closing the door on Thao Vy’s chances for the 2024 WNBA season. “We are disappointed that Thao Vy is on the list of cuts,” a post on Bullets Forever, a site dedicated to the Mystics, stated. “However, she suffered a minor ankle injury during training, limiting her opportunities to showcase her skills.”
Bullets Forever also highlighted the reality that American basketball clubs must cut many talented players due to roster limits of 11 to 12 players, depending on salary distribution. New players like Thao Vy face tougher competition due to these constraints.
Despite not making the team, Thao Vy could be called back by the Mystics or any other WNBA team mid-season. League rules allow players like her to sign short-term contracts to replace injured players. Additionally, she might pursue opportunities in other competitive basketball leagues, such as those in Australia or Europe.
Thao Vy was selected by the Mystics due to her impressive performance in the 2023-2024 NCAA season. She averaged 11.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game in 36 games for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Standing at 1.77 meters, she is often compared to NBA superstar Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Thao Vy and her twin sister, Thao My, known as the “Truong Twins,” made history by helping Vietnam win silver at the 31st SEA Games and gold at the 32nd SEA Games in 3×3 basketball. Born in the US to Vietnamese parents in 2001, the twins have been playing basketball since the age of five and have shown remarkable talent in the sport.
The WNBA is the world’s premier women’s basketball league, founded in 1997, and currently comprises 12 teams. The Washington Mystics, established in 1998, have won one championship in 2019. The 2024 WNBA season will run from May 14 to September 19, with each team playing 40 games to determine playoff standings.
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