Austin carries Washington home
Shakira Austin would not let this one slip. The Washington Mystics center posted 21 points and 11 rebounds on Friday night, and the hosts held off the Atlanta Dream 79-74 for a sixth straight win. Austin scored the clincher too, driving for a basket with 9.7 seconds left after Atlanta had crept within three.
Washington never trailed after the opening quarter. Sonia Citron poured in seven points during a 13-0 run that turned an early 3-0 hole into an 11-point cushion, and the Mystics took a 42-30 lead into the break. Kiki Iriafen added 15, Citron finished with 14, Cotie McMahon had 11 and Cassandre Prosper chipped in 10, giving Washington five scorers in double figures.
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A late Atlanta push falls short
Allisha Gray kept the Dream alive almost by herself. She finished with 26 points and twice dragged Atlanta back within range, trimming a 12-point halftime deficit to 47-39 early in the third. Rhyne Howard then caught fire, burying three 3-pointers in the opening minutes of the fourth to make it 67-60.
Washington answered every time. Austin scored twice and set up Prosper for a layup to push the lead back to 11. The Mystics did leave the door ajar, missing four of 10 free throws over the last 3:12, and Atlanta pulled within 77-74 with 32 seconds to play. Then came Austin’s drive. Howard closed with 19 points and Angel Reese grabbed 16 rebounds in the loss.
Six in a row, and climbing
The result lifted Washington to 18-12 and dropped Atlanta to 19-12, squeezing the middle of the standings tighter. The Mystics have hit their stride at the right time, leaning on a spread-out attack rather than one go-to scorer. Lauren Betts added 11 rebounds, part of a control on the glass that kept second chances scarce for the Dream when the game was there to be stolen.
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