The Washington Mystics fell to the Minnesota Lynx 94-84 Friday night at CareFirst Arena. Washington entered the matchup with a 21-14 record, while Minnesota came in at 30-7. The loss moved the Mystics to 21-15 on the season.
Washington started the game with a strong first quarter, taking a 26-25 lead into the second. Minnesota responded in the second quarter, outscoring the Mystics 24-16 to take a 49-42 lead into halftime. The Lynx continued to hold the advantage in the second half, scoring 26 points in the third quarter to Washington’s 25 and taking a 75-67 lead into the fourth. Minnesota then closed out the game with 19 points in the final period compared with 17 for Washington.
Despite the loss, the Mystics controlled the boards throughout the game, outrebounding Minnesota 36-26. It marked the 33rd time this season Washington has outrebounded an opponent, tying the 2025 Atlanta Dream for the highest single-season total in WNBA history. Washington also recorded its 16th game this season with a rebound differential of at least 10, tying the 2023 Dallas Wings for the second-highest single-season mark in league history.
The Mystics also finished with 21 assists, marking their 17th game this season with at least 20 assists. All five Washington starters scored in double figures, with Kiki Iriafen leading the team with 19 points, followed by Shakira Austin with 17, Michaela Onyenwere with 14, Sonia Citron with 11 and Georgia Amoore with 10. It was the fourth time this season that all five Mystics starters scored in double figures, tying the franchise record for most such games in a season, originally set by the 2006 team.
Iriafen led Washington with 19 points, a game-high 13 rebounds and two blocks. The performance gave her 16 double-doubles on the season and extended her current streak to three consecutive games with at least 15 points and five rebounds, the longest such stretch of her career.
Austin finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and a career-high-tying six assists. It was her third career game with at least 15 points, five rebounds and five assists, with all three qualifying performances coming this season. Austin shot 7-of-13 from the field and has now recorded 16 double-doubles this season, tying Iriafen for the fourth-most in the WNBA.
Amoore added 10 points, five rebounds and five assists while shooting 3-of-6 from three-point range. The performance marked the first game of her career in which she recorded at least 10 points, five rebounds and five assists. She also recorded at least five assists without a turnover for the second time this season.
Onyenwere scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, giving her 15 games this season with at least 10 points. She matched her 2023 season for the most 10-point games in a single campaign and shot at least 60 percent on 10 or more attempts for the third time this season.
Citron added 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting and five assists, recording her 12th game this season with at least 10 points and five assists.
Minnesota was led by Olivia Miles, who finished with 24 points, while Natasha Howard added 21 points and seven rebounds. Kayla McBride scored 18 points, and Courtney Williams contributed 13 points, eight assists and six rebounds. The Lynx shot 52.9 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from three-point range.
Washington shot 45.5 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range. The Mystics also finished with 14 turnovers compared with six for Minnesota.
The loss ended Washington’s two-game winning streak and dropped the Mystics to 21-15 with nine regular-season games remaining on the schedule. Washington will next travel to face the Chicago Sky on August 23.
Discover more from KB Sports Media
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
