Washington chases history in a home finale
Twenty-seven wins already sit in Washington’s pocket. A 28th would set a new franchise mark, and the Mystics get their shot Thursday night at home against a fading Chicago Sky side that just snapped a five-game skid.
The Mystics have won six of their last seven games and 15 of 19 overall, a stretch that has turned a rebuilding roster into a genuine playoff threat heading into October. At 27-16, Washington is already sitting on an 11-win improvement from last season, a jump few teams manage in a single offseason.
“We have a vision here in D.C., and I think everybody knew we had potential,” guard Sonia Citron said. “Just to see the growth from last year to this year is incredible. And I think the sky’s the limit. I truly believe that there’s another level we can tap into.”
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A rout already on the books
Washington doesn’t need to guess how this matchup goes. The Mystics buried Chicago 110-80 on Sept. 17, with Shakira Austin scoring 20 points and Kiki Iriafen adding an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double. Courtney Vandersloot’s 14 points that night were not enough to slow the rout, and Chicago dropped its fourth game in what became a five-game losing streak.
The Sky finally broke that skid Tuesday, beating the Toronto Tempo 97-85 at home behind Gabriela Jaquez and Sydney Taylor, who each scored 18 points, and Kamilla Cardoso, who added 17. Jaquez has been on a tear lately, averaging 14.0 points over her last three games on 18-of-28 shooting, nearly double her 7.1 season average. Injuries have forced Chicago to lean on younger players like Morgan Maly, who chipped in eight points and four rebounds against Toronto.
“I feel like there’s a collective energy of whoever is ready to go, they’re going to go and give it their all,” Maly said. “You learn the plays in the span of three days and you’ve got to go play; it’s part of the business.”
Playoff seeding on the line
Washington enters off a gritty 79-69 win over Connecticut on Tuesday, with Austin posting 25 points and 13 rebounds in what coach Sydney Johnson called “an ugly win” after the Mystics finished minus-9 on the boards. A win Thursday, paired with an Indiana loss at Minnesota, would lock Washington into the No. 5 seed heading into the postseason.
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