The Atlanta Dream were taking the youngsters of Washington to the woodshed. The scoreline read 46-34 at halftime, and an 18-9 Dream run coming out of the break put any hopes of a Washington comeback almost out of the realm of possibility. Washington coach Sydney Johnson was visibly frustrated on the sidelines as his team struggled against one of the best teams in the league. Then, after Angel Reese was awarded her seventh free throw of the game, Johnson exploded.
Reese found herself one-on-one with Alicia Florez in transition. Reese went right at her, and Florez was immediately called for the foul. And that’s when all hell broke loose with Sydney Johnson. He was arguing with the referees, and things got heated. Johnson had to be held back by his own staff and even Kiki Iriafen. However, when he still did not calm down, the police had to step in. He was penalized with a double technical and ejected as he returned to the locker room.
The Washington Mystics were already being dominated at that point, with the scoreline reading 64-43 to the Dream. Given the circumstances, it’s not hard to imagine the growing deficit playing a role in the confrontation. However, Johnson didn’t seem interested in revisiting the moment afterward, brushing aside questions about his emotional outburst during the postgame press conference.
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“I lost my cool. Nothing more than that. Officials did what they did,” Johnson said, per Sports Illustrated. “I don’t want to get into it. I don’t want to take away from how Atlanta played and how we played.”
Nevertheless, the intensity of this interaction could lead to a heavy fine and even suspension for Johnson. Last year, Cheryl Reeve was fined a WNBA record $15,000 for her “conduct and comments.”
And it’s not the first time the Mystics’ boss has stormed the court. Against the Dallas Wings last year, Johnson was almost at the logo and earned his first technical while protesting the referees’ calls. The circumstances may have changed, but Johnson’s willingness to challenge officials has remained the same.
After Johnson was ejected, the situation did not change. The Dream had a 31-25 fourth quarter to grab a 109-77 win as the Mystics and Sydney Johnson dropped to 4-5. It was also their worst defensive performance of the season, as they let the Dream score their season-high points.
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The Dream got contributions from all over the floor in Saturday’s blowout win, with five players finishing in double figures. Leading the way was Angel Reese, who posted 18 points and 17 rebounds for her fourth straight double-double and seventh of the campaign. Atlanta’s defense was equally impressive, racking up 16 steals as the Dream improved to 7-3 on the season.
Kiki Iriafen led the way for the Mystics with 24 points and 3 rebounds, while Sonia Citron added 18 points and 6 assists.
However, the Mystics were left without much scoring beyond those two, and this one particular player has disappointed the Mystics fans early in the season. While Johnson’s sideline emotions grabbed attention, Washington’s bigger concern remains the struggles of a young roster still searching for consistency.
Sydney Johnson’s Trust in Georgia Amoore Raises Questions Amid Mystics’ Growing Struggles
Sydney Johnson has multiple top picks under his belt after a pretty successful season last year from a rebuilding perspective. The pairing of Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron gave the Mystics some positive signs, with Shakira Austin being the third head of the offense. However, the Mystics need to continue their upward path, especially with picks like Lauren Betts, Cotie McMahon, and Angela Dugalic. But amongst that young core, there has been one player who has really struggled, Georgia Amoore.
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Amoore is coming off an ACL tear that delayed the start of her WNBA career by a full season, and expectations were understandably high when she finally took the floor. So far, though, she has struggled to make the impact many anticipated. Over her last three games, Amoore has managed just four points and six assists combined despite playing more than 20 minutes in each contest. For the season, she is averaging 5.2 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.2 turnovers per game.
Sydney Johnson has two point guards on the bench in Rori Harmon and Lucy Olsen, who have barely played in comparison. Harmon has averaged 8.9 minutes per game despite impressing in the little time she has played. Olsen, on the other hand, has also played only 8 minutes per game. Johnson needs to experiment and look beyond Amoore, as the Mystics rank 11th in the league in assists per game with 18.6. They also rank second-to-last in turnovers per game with 16.1.
The Mystics are loaded with frontcourt talent, with Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen anchoring the starting lineup while Lauren Betts and Angela Dugalic provide depth off the bench. But with so much of the roster’s strength concentrated in the paint, Johnson still has to find the right balance to make everything click.
For a team built around its size, winning the battle on the boards and generating second-chance opportunities should be a priority every night. But that wasn’t the case tonight.
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The Mystics were outrebounded 42-26 by the Dream, with Angel Reese leading the way. It’s still early in the season, but it’s clear that this Mystics team has some issues to solve if it wants to take the next step.
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