Mystic Melbourne: Behind Aussie star's early push for WNBA's most improved

• Jade Melbourne could be a candidate for the WNBA Most Improved Player of the Year in 2025
• In more than 25 minutes per game, the Washington Mystics guard is averaging 11.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and four assists
• Melbourne is second in the league for true-shooting percentage (74%), behind only fellow Australian Alanna Smith (78%)

To the surprise of nobody who has watched Jade Melbourne closely over the past few years, the Australian point guard is shining bright in her third WNBA season.

Perhaps the only group of people who would be surprised are sitting in Seattle’s front office, the team that traded her for next to nothing on the eve of her sophomore season. Seattle’s loss has turned into a monumental gain for the Washington Mystics.

Still just 22-years-old, Melbourne has taken full advantage of the added opportunities that have come her way this season as the Mystics had a huge guard turnover over the offseason, coupled with the unfortunate ACL injury to Australian Georgia Amoore.

Playing more minutes than ever, it feels as if it’s only a matter of time before Melbourne is inserted into the starting line-up or at least overtakes veteran guard Sug Sutton on the depth chart. Sutton has started all three games so far, but it would make sense for the Mystics to add rising star Shakira Austin to the starting line-up in the coming games as she continues to ramp up in her return from injury.

Yes, it’s a small sample size just three games into the season, but Melbourne has a team-high plus-minus of +8, with the next best of those who are averaging 10+ minutes being Brittany Sykes at +1.7. Meanwhile, Sutton is a team-worst -6.

Melbourne was a solid piece of Washington’s rotation in her first year with the team in 2024, averaging 14 minutes across 37 games. In 2025, she has become a key cog of the Mystics line-up, averaging more than 25 minutes per game, and with each passing game her minutes have increased.

With the added minutes, Melbourne is averaging 11.3 points (up from 5.4 last season), 4.7 rebounds (up from 1.5 last season) and four assists (up from 1.6 last season). All this points towards the type of season that could have her in contention for the WNBA Most Improved Player Award.

Yesterday, she played a career-high 29 minutes against Golden State and did it all, finishing with eight points, seven assists, seven rebounds and a steal in a tough 76-74 loss.

In her first stint off the bench, Melbourne turned the game. Just more than two minutes into the contest, she checked in after a quick 6-0 start by the Valkyries. Melbourne proceeded to dish out an assist, grab a defensive rebound and hand out another assist in less than 30 seconds. She would play the remainder of the first quarter and have Washington leading by three points at the first break, 14-11, boasting three points, three assists, two rebounds and a steal to her name.

She’s making quick decisions, and largely the right decisions. It must be noted that she did commit five turnovers against the Valkyries, but in the previous two games she had turned it over just once.

Melbourne put on a show in a stirring 90-85 win over Connecticut earlier this week. In 25 minutes of playing time, she recorded 15 points (3-from-4 from three), four assists and was a game-high +18.

With Washington trailing by 10 points after a rough first quarter, it was Melbourne who helped inject life into the Mystics to start the second quarter. After dishing out three assists over the course of a game-changing minute of play, she then flew by the defence for a lay-up that forced the Sun to call a time-out with their lead cut to just two points.

The play was brilliant, but in the video below the reaction of head coach Sydney Johnson tells you everything you need to know. He pulled Melbourne aside, embraced her and clearly appreciates the value she brings to the team.

Later in the game, Melbourne hit back-to-back triples to keep Washington within touch once again. Melbourne made Bria Hartley pay for leaving her open on the wing and on the next possession, Hartley played Melbourne much tighter having learnt her lesson. Melbourne was unfazed, as she worked off a pair of screens to cross Hartley over and sink a highlight triple.

Every time Melbourne steps into the game, she makes an impact. While she has always had elite speed, she’s coming into her own by not going flat out every time she gets the ball; she continues to play with great pace but is picking her moments better than ever.

Case in point is her efficient shooting start to the season. She’s hitting a healthy 67% of shots in the paint, highlighting her not driving blindly or forcing things. Unbelievably, she’s also shooting a ridiculous 67% from deep, which will be impossible to keep up as the season goes on, but it’s obviously a positive start to the season.

Melbourne is second in the league for true-shooting percentage (74%), behind only fellow Australian Alanna Smith (78%), who is off to a phenomenal start with Minnesota after missing their season-opener.

The stats prove just how good Melbourne has been to start the season, but just as importantly, she continues to bring joy to the game. While many may not think of it as such, her infectious energy is absolutely a skill, and it’s something that separates her from many of her peers.

At every turn in her young career, Jade Melbourne has risen to the occasion. Whether it was becoming the face of the Canberra Capitals in the WNBL, being thrust into the Opals starting five at her first Olympics as a 21-year-old, and now truly finding her place in a league that is so difficult to crack into.

About the Author

Hayley Wildes is passionate about all things Australian women’s basketball and loves to highlight the stories of players from all levels and competitions across the globe. From our own backyard in the WNBL, to the WNBA and the Opals, and everything in between, Hayley has you covered.