Sports provide an opportunity for communities to connect. Fans celebrate their favorite teams’ successes together and share the pain of losing. New Georgetown students eager to explore their new city through sports can use this guide to discover and connect with Washington, D.C.’s professional teams. Although it’s not the most successful of times for professional sports in our nation’s capital, there are still plenty of opportunities for DMV fans to come together and support the city’s teams through their wins and losses.
D.C. United
The first team in this guide is D.C. United, the District’s Major League Soccer (MLS) team. D.C. United plays at Audi Field, a 13-minute walk from the Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro station, which connects to the Yellow and Green lines. All United games are available on Apple TV through the MLS Season Pass. D.C. United has several active supporters’ groups, including groups founded by and for queer fans and fans of color.
D.C. United is in a difficult season, with a 6-11-8 record that puts them 13th out of 15 teams in the MLS Eastern Conference. The 2023-24 MLS regular season ends in October, and United will almost certainly miss the playoffs. D.C. United seriously needs a rebuild and a clear plan for the future.
There are some promising signs for United, though. Striker Christian Benteke leads D.C. United with 16 goals and four assists in 21 matches so far this season. Benteke, a Belgian international player, spent most of his career in top European soccer leagues, including multiple seasons at top-flight English clubs Aston Villa and Liverpool.
Another D.C. United striker, Jacob Murrell, is a former Georgetown men’s soccer standout who was the seventh overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft. Murrell has recorded one goal and one assist in six starts for United, but at only 20 years old, the Georgetown alumnus has time to develop and add to his tally.
Washington Commanders
The Commanders are D.C.’s resident NFL team and the oldest professional sports organization in the District. Commanders Field, the Commanders’ home turf, is about an hour by Uber from campus, or a 90-minute journey by Metro. Regardless, the logistical challenge of attending games in person and the expense of NFL tickets means that most people will watch them on TV with friends. The Commanders’ regular season begins Sept. 8 and students can catch their first home game on Sept. 15.
Since the time incoming first-years started kindergarten, these Washingtonians have been lackluster at best, going 77-116-2 over the last 13 years. The team has also been embroiled in multiple scandals, mainly centered around former owner Dan Snyder, who sold the team in 2023. Shortly after the sale, the NFL concluded Snyder sexually harassed a former employee of the Commanders. Additionally, Snyder resisted calls for decades to change the former name of the Commanders, which Indigenous American activists considered derogatory. Some fans still wear merchandise depicting Indigenous American caricatures at games. Coupled with their track record of losing, these factors can make students rightfully hesitant to adopt the team as their own.
Despite its troubled history, the team still commands a strong fanbase within the DMV. That fan base finally has hope, too. The Commanders are under new ownership, shirking off the famously miserly Synder and bringing in a coalition of owners, which includes former NBA superstar Magic Johnson. The new leadership is spending big on new coaches, including head coach Dan Quinn, who will start his freshman season this year. Quinn previously coached a high-impact defense for the division rival Dallas Cowboys. He also has head coaching experience, having led the Atlanta Falcons to the Super Bowl in the 2016-17 season in which the team ultimately lost to Tom Brady’s Patriots.
Additionally, Washington’s new draft class is headlined by star quarterback and no. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels, who won the Heisman Trophy (college football’s top honor) in his final collegiate season. Daniels can generate successful plays through his arm and running ability, which should spark the previously lethargic offense.
Washington Mystics
The Mystics are yet another D.C. team in a rebuilding phase. The Mystics sat second-to-last in the WNBA with a 6-19 record as the Voice went to print. The league had been on a break for the Olympics, but the Mystics started again on Aug. 15. Fans who want to attend Mystics games can see them at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Southeast D.C., accessible via Metro on the Green Line. TV viewers will find local broadcasts on Monumental Sports Network or via WNBA League Pass for games not subject to local blackouts.
The Mystics are experiencing a significant drop-off this season, largely the result of two offseason developments: the departure of Natasha Cloud and the absence of two-time MVP Elena Delle Donne. Cloud left Washington to join the Phoenix Mercury this past offseason after the Mystics decided not to re-sign her in free agency. Delle Donne, who has dealt with persistent injuries throughout her career, is currently taking a break from basketball to reevaluate her future. Both Cloud and Delle Donne played a notable role in the Mystics’ 2019 championship season. The Mystics must find players who can do heavy lifting if they want to contend for another championship.
Rookie forward Aaliyah Edwards is one player who could be instrumental in revitalizing the team. Edwards was the sixth overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, and she’s averaged 8.7 points per game and 5.9 rebounds in 22 games so far this season. Edwards may bring back (sometimes unpleasant) memories for Georgetown women’s basketball fans, who saw the Canadian forward put up big numbers against the Hoyas during her college playing days at UConn. Edwards is a talented young player, but she’ll need help for the Mystics to return to elite status. Unfortunately for D.C. sports fans, the Mystics are yet another struggling team in serious need of a rebuild.
Washington Nationals
Oh, the Nationals. The Nationals are not a very good team, but they might have the best gameday atmosphere in the District, along with some of the best ballpark food. As of Aug. 16, the Nationals hold a 53-64 record, with little hope of making a run at the playoffs. However, the Nationals’ ballpark is easy to get to from campus, following a similar route as getting to D.C. United games from the Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro station, giving students little excuse to avoid the ballpark. Students can get ticket discounts on the MLB website, including discounted tickets and concessions on Tuesdays, and the many bobblehead giveaways should be enough to entice you to go to Nationals Park.
The on-field performance is improving, too. The Nationals have an electric shortstop in C.J. Abrams, and DMV native and left fielder James Wood has been a breakout star this season. While the Nationals’ pitching needs improvement, the team is young, which should give new fans some hope.
The Nationals have a fun remaining schedule. Between Aug. 26-28, they host the high-powered Yankees offense, giving D.C. residents a chance to see two-time MVP Aaron Judge. On Sept. 10 and 11, the Nats play the Braves, a likely playoff team. To end the season, the Nationals host the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies, a World Series contender with superstars Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos. The final series will be played Sept. 27-29.
Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit are an oasis of winning in the desert of losing that is the D.C. sports landscape. The Spirit, D.C.’s local National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team, are currently 11-1-4 and sitting in third place in the NWSL. With 10 weeks left in the season, the Spirit have an opportunity to win the NWSL regular season title and a very high chance of making the playoffs to compete for the NWSL championship. The NWSL has been on break for the Olympics, but the Spirit will return to action against the second-place KC Current at Audi Field on Aug. 25. The match will be broadcast on CBS Sports and Monumental Sports Network.
Spirit games are simple to attend in person because they play at Audi Field like D.C. United. However, watching on television can be challenging because the NWSL’s television rights deal gave broadcasting rights to several different networks. Therefore, Spirit games are split between Monumental Sports Network, CBS Sports, ESPN, NWSL+, ION, and Prime Video.
The Spirit boast a young and talented roster, headlined by forward Trinity Rodman, a regular starter for the United States Women’s National Team. The Spirit’s midfield is headlined by two rookies, Croix Bethune and Hal Hershfelt, who were the third and fifth picks of the 2024 Draft, respectively. Bethune made history this season by winning back-to-back-to-back NWSL Rookie of the Month honors. Additionally, the Spirit recently added a new head coach, Jonatan Giráldez, who led FC Barcelona Femení to two consecutive Union of European Football Associations Women’s Champions League titles. With an owner who is committed to the growth of the Spirit and the wider world of women’s sports, the Spirit are in an excellent position to build a strong team for years to come. The Spirit look like a lone successful team in a D.C. sports landscape full of franchises that have been losing a lot lately.
Washington Wizards
The Wizards. Oh, the Wizards. The former Chicago Zephyrs are usually a lock to be the District’s biggest annual sporting disappointment, and this year looks like it will be no different. From Alex Sarr’s embarrassingly poor Summer League performance to trading Deni Avdija (a 23-year-old coming off a career year) for Malcolm Brogdon (who in his career has started more than 60 games only once) and the 14th overall pick, the biggest money laundering scheme in D.C. (someone had to say it) has already had an offseason for the history books. Led by the “California Rejects” of Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole, this team is the definition of rebuilding. What exactly the plan involves is unclear, but they seem content with snagging Frenchmen in the draft: their second overall choice this year was Alex Sarr, and last year, their seventh overall pick was Bilal Coulibaly. To be fair, their offseason signings have been competent—Jonas Valančiūnas and Saddiq Bey, specifically—but none will move the needle all that much. Coming off a 15-67 season, the team has nowhere to go but up, and the Wizards are projected to finish as the second-worst team in the league, which is better than being dead last.
In short, if you’re going to a Wizards game, you’re buying cheap tickets to see an opposing star, or you’re there for the Friday Night concert series (please bring this back for this season, Wizards; it was so fun). Attend these games to have fun, not to watch a good basketball performance by the home team. They’ll be lucky to win 25 games. But hey, maybe Alex Sarr can turn it around. And according to Basketball Reference, one of Malcolm Brogdon’s monikers is “The President.” So, uh, that’s something.
While this is a good overview of the professional teams that are covered, it inexplicably excludes the Washington Capitals (NHL), as well as the other Division 1 professional women’s team, DC Power, which began play in the new USL Super League earlier this month.