Washington DC, June 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Washington Mystics and Jostens, the leading provider of custom, artfully-crafted championship rings for professional sports teams, today unveiled the 2019 Washington Mystics WNBA Championship Ring. Players and coaches gathered to celebrate in a private ceremony and received their rings as a team.
“The Mystics undoubtedly had one of the most talented offenses and overall team in the WNBA and were truly incredible to watch in 2019,” said Chris Poitras VP and COO of Jostens Professional Sports Division. “We are proud to partner with the Mystics organization to celebrate their first-ever championship title and create a ring that will become a part of Washington, DC’s championship tradition.”
The Washington Mystics became a part of WNBA history when they defeated the Connecticut Suns 89-78 in game 5 of the 2019 playoffs.
“It is my tremendous privilege to celebrate the awesome athletic achievement of our Champion Mystics with the presentation of this meticulously-crafted ring,” said Sheila C. Johnson, Monumental Sports & Entertainment Vice Chairwoman and Washington Mystics managing partner. “Our season was historic, extending beyond the records they broke along their journey. They played in their new, dedicated home at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Ward 8, created lasting memories, and inspired fans to forge deeper bonds in our community and dream bigger. This ring represents the leadership of Coach Mike Thibault, the resilience of our team – who kept their promise to #RunItBack, on the court and in our community – and a season that Mystics fans will always cherish.”
With the best offense in the WNBA, an exceptional and record-shattering team, the Washington Mystics were crowned the 2019 WNBA Champions for the first time in the 22 years of franchise history. The 2019 WNBA Championship Ring captures every step of this journey with a vivid celebration of the team, their fans and their city. Crafted in 10-karat white gold with diamonds, genuine rubies and sapphires, the Mystics 2019 WNBA Championship Ring honors the team with potent symbolism, powerful storytelling, and shimmering brilliance.
“Thank you to Jostens for their continuing great work for us as they have now designed our three most recent championship rings, each telling a unique and personal story for the NHL Washington Capitals, the AFL Washington Valor and now the WNBA Washington Mystics,” said Ted Leonsis, Founder, Chairman, Principal Partner & CEO, Monumental Sports & Entertainment. “We have been proud to partner with Jostens as D.C. has become the District Of Champions."
Adorning the ring top is the Mystics DC logo set with custom-cut rubies and sapphires. Combined, the 6 custom-cut sapphires and 6 custom-cut rubies are symbolic of the 12 players on the team’s roster with the singular round sapphire representing head coach, Mike Thibault. The iconic logo is set atop the WNBA Championship Trophy which features 6 diamonds in its base signifying the incredible 6 total games won by the Mystics in the 2019 playoffs, as well as one larger diamond at the top which pays tribute to their first-ever championship victory. Surrounding the Trophy and logo are 23 diamonds. An encircling ring of 29 taper-cut rubies represent the 26 regular season wins and the 3 games won in the Finals. Completing the ring top are an additional 90 diamonds and the team’s title of 2019 WNBA CHAMPIONS. The top and bottom edges of the ring top are accented with 8 princess-cut sapphires, for a combined total of 16 sapphires. The 8 princess-cut sapphires are symbolic of the Mystics’ new home court advantage in DC’s Ward 8. The Mystics complied an 18-3 record at the Entertainment and Sports Arena, including the decisive game 5 of the WNBA Finals.
The player’s name is highlighted at the top of the left side of the ring and set above their jersey number, which is created with diamonds to represent their contribution to the championship season. The WNBA logo gracefully occupies the top-left corner. The left side of the ring is completed with a tribute to the Mystics hometown with iconic Washington, DC landmarks. The Washington Monument, Capitol Building and Lincoln Memorial are brought to life in intricate detail.
The right side boldly spells out RUN IT BACK, capturing the 2019 Mystics mantra and the team’s glorious return to the WNBA finals set above their hometown of WASHINGTON DC. The Mystics logo is created in the team’s signature blue. Completing the side of the ring is the Mystics franchise best regular season record of 26-8 achieved in 2019.
The interior of the ring features the Mystics logo set above the playoff series scores and logos of their opponents, whom they defeated on their journey to become WNBA Champions.
The rings feature an average of 120 diamonds which total 2.35 carats, 6 custom-cut and 29 taper-cut rubies totaling 3.5 carats. There are also 6 custom-cut sapphires, 1 round sapphire and 16 princess-cut sapphires, which combined total 3.15 carats. The rings have an astounding total gem carat weight of 9.0 carats.
Jostens also partnered with the Washington Mystics in producing an official WNBA Championship jewelry collection allowing the entire fan community to commemorate the 2019 WNBA Championship. Mystics fans can capture their piece of franchise history and commemorate this historic moment through a custom selection of personalized fine jewelry and championship collectables. All pieces in this collection are inspired by the team’s Championship Ring and are available now for a limited time by ordering online at www.jostens.com/mystics.
As a part of the exciting celebration, the Washington Mystics have created a unique opportunity that extends the championship to the fan community. As a part of their program, a Limited Edition Ring is being made available and is designed to be as close to the ring awarded to the team that is made available for purchase to the public. The Limited Edition Ring is available online at www.jostens.com/mystics.
ABOUT JOSTENS:
Jostens is a trusted partner in the academic and achievement channel, providing products, programs and services that help its customers celebrate moments that matter. The company's products include yearbooks, publications, jewelry and consumer goods that serve the K-12 educational, college and professional sports segments. Founded in 1897 and based in Minneapolis, Minn., Jostens is a subsidiary of Platinum Equity and can be found online at www.jostens.com. In addition to crafting the Washington Mystics WNBA Championship Ring, Jostens has previously partnered with several other organizations in Washington, DC, including the 2019 Washington Nationals, 2018 Washington Capitals and the 2018 Washington Valor to commemorate their World Championship victory.
ABOUT THE WASHINGTON MYSTICS:
The reigning WNBA Champion Washington Mystics are owned and operated by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which is one of the largest integrated sports and entertainment companies in the country with one of the most diverse partnership groups in all of sports. MSE owns and operates five professional sports teams: the NBA's Washington Wizards, NBA G League’s Capital City Go-Go, NBA 2K League’s Wizards District Gaming, and the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals. Monumental Sports & Entertainment is also co-owner of aXiomatic, which has controlling interest in global esports franchise Team Liquid, and owns and operates Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Monumental Sports & Entertainment also manages MedStar Capitals Iceplex, the state-of-the-art training facility for the Capitals and EagleBank Arena on George Mason University's campus. In conjunction with the District of Columbia and Events DC, MSE is a partner in a new sports and entertainment facility in Southeast DC on the St. Elizabeth’s East campus that opened in September 2018.
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