It was a defensive battle, and the Mystics trailed most of the way, but they closed on a 12-2 run to beat the Las Vegas Aces, 70-68.
Sonia Citron and Shakira Austin were the offensive engines in the fourth quarter. Citron overcame a rough outing to score six points in the final 10 minutes. She finished the game with nine points on 2-10 shooting.
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Austin scored six of her 16 points and grabbed six of her eight rebounds in just seven minutes of action in the final period.
Britney Sykes pumped in 18 points — including the pair of free throws with 4.1 seconds to play that capped Washington’s comeback.
Kiki Iriafen had 12 points on 4-4 shooting from the floor, as well as eight rebounds.
For the Aces, Jewell Loyd led with 20 points. Chelsea Gray was arguably Las Vegas’ top performer with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and 3 blocks. Dana Evans chipped in 11 off the bench in a losing cause.
When I mentioned a defensive battle earlier, I meant it. Washington’s offensive rating (points scored per possession x 100) was 88. Seattle’s was 86. League average this season: 104.3. The teams shot a combined 5-36 (13.8%) from three-point range.
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With the win, Washington moves to seventh place.
Next up for the Mystics — a matchup with Skylar Diggins, Gabby Williams, and Nneka Ogwumike of the Seattle Storm. (Yes, I almost typed Supersonics.)
It’ll also be a chance to catch up with former Mystics forward Alysha Clark, who signed with Seattle in the offseason. Clark has played 10 of her 13 professional seasons with the Storm.
