Game Info
When: Wednesday, June 24th at 7:30 p.m. ET
How to watch: Monumental Sports Network, League Pass
Where: CareFirst Arena, Washington, DC
Injury Report
Mystics: No Injuries Reported
Storm: Naphessa Collier – Out (Ankle), Dorka Juhasz – Out (Foot), Emma Cechova – Out (Knee)
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Pregame notes
Mystics are winners of three straight games, but the last two have gotten quite a bit of attention, due to beating two of the top teams in the league in consecutive games. For their last game against the Lynx, it was a hard fought game, where neither team was able to wrestle the game away from the other. The Mystics were able to piece together some timely stops to keep them in the game long enough, to make a final push to win.
Shakira Austin did not have her best game (7 points, 2-8 shooting), but the rest of the team picked things up. Sonia Citron and Kik Iriafen both had their fingerprints on this victory, but Lauren Betts, who replaced Austin, late in the game, loomed large in contributing to the win. Betts’ presence in the paint deterred the likes of Olivia Miles from getting easy drives to the basket and helped slow down the Lynx attack.
For the game on Wednesday, Betts will likely continue to play a vital role, as she has a decisive matchup advantage against the Lynx. Look for the Mystics to take advantage of this. Also Shakira will be looking to have a bounce back game.
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On the Lynx side, both Olivia Miles and Natasha Howard were solid. Both of them really got going in this one, while Kayla McBride (12 points, 3-11 shooting) struggled. Definitely should look for a bounce back game for her.
Overall we should expect some adjustments from both teams, but this game is going to ultimately come down to how well the Mystics continue to defend the 3. Holding the Lynx to 19 percent shooting from 3 is a lot to ask, but that will be key to giving the Mystics a chance. Let’s see if they can get another win against the #1 team in the W.
