Ray Payton · Washington Mystics · Season Tickets
2026 Season, Reconciled
A decision-support ledger for the 2027 renewal. Updated August 11, 2026 - 14 reconciled sale confirmations, 40 tickets sold, $7,075.60 in net payout through August 21, 2026.
The 2026 season returned a $2,013.10 net profit on a $5,062.50 package - a 39.8% return. The 2027 renewal at $7,200.00 is a $2,137.50 (42.2%) jump that would erase that cushion at the same sales volume.
Renew only if the three-seat experience with Alan and Sarah is worth accepting a much thinner financial cushion and a near break-even resale case. The financial case alone does not justify the jump.
$2,013.10
39.8%
$7,075.60
$176.89
Sales and payouts
Cumulative net payout crossed the 2026 season cost in early August. The ranked view below shows where the money came from.
Cumulative net payout
Ranked game payouts
Purchase cost to payout to profit
All 14 sale confirmations
| # | Date | Opponent | Qty | Net / ticket | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | May 29 | Los Angeles Sparks | 3 | $173.85 | $521.55 |
| 02 | Jun 8 | Indiana Fever | 3 | $336.30 | $1,008.90 |
| 03 | Jun 24 | Minnesota Lynx | 3 | $96.90 | $290.70 |
| 04 | Jul 6 | Golden State Valkyries | 3 | $85.50 | $256.50 |
| 05 | Jul 12 | Seattle Storm | 3 | $95.00 | $285.00 |
| 06 | Jul 16 | Portland Fire | 3 | $85.50 | $256.50 |
| 07 | Jul 22 | Las Vegas Aces | 3 | $294.50 | $883.50 |
| 08 | Jul 28 | Connecticut Sun | 3 | $74.10 | $222.30 |
| 09 | Jul 31 | Dallas Wings | 3 | $280.25 | $840.75 |
| 10 | Aug 5 | Dallas Wings | 3 | $380.00 | $1,140.00 |
| 11 | Aug 7 | Atlanta Dream | 2 | $188.10 | $376.20 |
| 12 | Aug 7 | Atlanta Dream | 1 | $198.55 | $198.55 |
| 13 | Aug 19 | Toronto Tempo | 3 | $89.30 | $267.90 |
| 14 | Aug 21 | Minnesota Lynx | 3 | $175.75 | $527.25 |
| Totals | 40 | $7,075.60 | |||
Most profitable by total net revenue
- Aug 5 · Dallas Wings
- Jun 8 · Indiana Fever
- Jul 22 · Las Vegas Aces
- Jul 31 · Dallas Wings
Highest payout per ticket
- Aug 5 · Dallas Wings
- Jun 8 · Indiana Fever
- Jul 22 · Las Vegas Aces
- Jul 31 · Dallas Wings
Least profitable / struggled
- Jul 28 · Connecticut Sun
- Jul 6 · Golden State Valkyries
- Jul 16 · Portland Fire
- Aug 19 · Toronto Tempo
- Jul 12 · Seattle Storm
- Jun 24 · Minnesota Lynx
Unsold / conditional
Aug 15 - Sparks - listed, currently unsold / conditional. It is not included in the 14-sale total and has no payout attributed to it. Known status from current ledger notes.
Renewal math
The proposed renewal is $7,200 for the same 3 seats. The jump is steep, and the break-even case rests on holding this season's average resale.
Cost comparison, 2026 to 2027
Break-even framing
At the 2026 realized average of $176.89 per ticket, covering the $7,200.00 renewal would take about 41 tickets sold (rounded up from 40.7), versus 29 tickets to cover the 2026 cost.
If 40-ticket volume repeats
Holding this season's 40-ticket sales volume at the $176.89 average would produce a net loss of -$124.40 before any tickets used personally.
The 2027 renewal needs $7,200.00 in payout - $124.40 above the 40-ticket historical payout - to break even at 40 sold tickets.
Strategic recommendations
A structured view of the trade-offs, with a primary recommendation and clear alternatives.
Primary recommendation
Renew only if the three-seat experience with Alan and Sarah is worth accepting a much thinner financial cushion and a near break-even resale case. The financial case alone does not justify the 42.2% jump.
This is a conditional verdict, not a financial command. If the social value of the three seats is high, the renewal can still be the right call - just go in clear-eyed about the cushion.
Personal utility first
You love attending with Alan and Sarah. A 3-seat package preserves the ability to bring both; splitting up or buying fewer seats makes that hard. Two-seat packages historically resell worse for this use case, so do not treat downsizing as a purely financial fix.
Negotiation and terms
Ask for a price concession, better payment terms, or a flexible installment structure before committing. The 10-month plan at $720.00 per month and half-season compromises are poor fits for how you use the package, so treat them as weak options rather than recommending them. Note the installment plan does not change the total cost.
Keep the 3-seat package
If the social value with Alan and Sarah is high, renewing the same seats is defensible - accept the thinner cushion knowingly.
Seek a lower-priced 3-seat location
A cheaper 3-seat package in a different section keeps the group intact while improving the break-even case.
Skip or re-evaluate
If renewal pricing cannot be improved and resale confidence is insufficient, skipping is reasonable. Do not default to 2 seats.
Decision checklist
- What is the renewal deadline?
- Exact home-game count and seat delivery for the 2027 package
- Transfer and resale rules for the 3-seat package
- Any fees on top of the $7,200
- Payment options beyond the 10-month plan
- Whether Aug 15 and any other games are included in the package
Data notes and method
Ledger source and reconciliation
- Source is Gmail Ticketmaster sale confirmations and the official Mystics schedule.
- All 14 emails were parsed and reconciled by unique message ID and order.
- Total payout is the "Total Payment to you" net payout, not the gross sale price.
- The same opponent can appear across distinct games and sale confirmations.
Assumptions vs confirmed facts
Confirmed from the ledger: 14 sales, 40 tickets, $7,075.60 net payout, and the $5,062.50 season cost.
Assumptions, clearly separated: the implied cost per ticket of $168.75 assumes a 30-game season, and the break-even scenarios use the 2026 realized average as a stand-in. Neither is a forecast.