Singing the praises of a winless Washington Mystics team will always be an uphill battle, but at some point, it may feel not worth fighting.
When the Mystics reached double-digit losses last week, the scarce pocket of fans defending the team went radio silent. Searching for reassurance in loss after loss becomes humiliating. What redemption can be found in a team painfully extending the worst start in franchise history?
Buried in the league standings at 0-12, the Mystics season seemed something of a foregone conclusion.
Dwindling hope was desperately strung onto pleas that Washington wasn’t at full strength. The names of Brittney Sykes and Shakira Austin had been more frequently listed on injury reports than box scores. Two absent starters felt like the last bastion protecting the fading optimism of Mystics fans.
Sykes, who had been sidelined since game two with an ankle injury, made her anticipated return on Tuesday night against the Atlanta Dream (5-4). With Austin still out, Sykes alone carried the weight of a fanbase’s hopes on her shoulders.
Playing against the team that drafted her seven years ago, Sykes proved that no weight is too heavy.
(Hyosub Shin/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Sykes’ homecoming
A putback layup by Atlanta’s Cheyenne Parker-Tyus kicked off the contest, starting the Mystics at an all-too-familiar deficit. What no one could have predicted was that this 2-0 lead would be Atlanta’s last of the night.
Two three-pointers within one minute from rookie Julie Vanloo propelled the Mystics towards a 13-4 lead halfway through quarter one. The D.C. backcourt came to play, as guards Ariel Atkins, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Sykes, and Vanloo combined for 21 points in the first period alone.
The Mystics have competed with teams all season, so a solid first quarter was certainly no breakthrough. Atlanta was steadily paced by Tina Charles, who notched 10 through the first half to keep the Dream within striking distance.
Charles quickly picked up where she left off in the second half. She hit a smooth mid-post stepback to cut the Mystics lead to three within the first minute.
The game found itself back in the balance, and the Washington Mystics fell back to reality. Trends of the season would suggest that it was time for Washington to forfeit a run and the lead.
Sykes didn't miss a step. 🥹
— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) June 12, 2024
Player of the Game | @Amtrak pic.twitter.com/QWraujUBJF
However, predictable trends of the season seemed outdated with Sykes back on the floor.
Washington flipped a switch in the mid-third quarter, putting together a 14-2 run capped off by a contested three from Sykes herself. They entered the final period with a dominant 14-point lead, and Atlanta was unable to extinguish the sharpshooting Mystics.
Not only did the Mystics leave Atlanta with their first win, but they left with a blowout. At the final buzzer, Washington triumphed 87-68.
(Hyosub Shin/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
A new identity in D.C.?
Washington ended the game shooting 54.8% from beyond the arc, hitting 17 of 31 attempts. It was the third-best three-point percentage for a WNBA team that attempted 30 or more threes in a game. They ended one three behind the league record of 18 threes in a game. It was only the 15th time that a WNBA team has had eight or more players connect from a distance.
The star backcourt of Sykes and Atkins reminded viewers of their talent, with each guard recording 18 points. Sykes added 3 rebounds and 4 assists, shooting 58% from the floor and 66% from three despite only seeing 14 minutes on a lingering minutes restriction. Atkins notched 4 rebounds and 5 assists, shooting 60% from the floor and 100% from three.
It will be hard for Washington to match historic efficiency, but a 19-point win in Sykes’ return was nothing short of promising. Her ability to win at the point of attack, get downhill, and create productive paint touches proved to be instrumental in the Mystics offense. If Sykes can continue to be an engine for offensive spacing, the Mystics may have found a new identity through perimeter shooting.
Washington has been fortunate enough to remain even-keeled despite such a disastrous start to the season. Perhaps the composure of the locker room is a refreshing testament to second-year head coach Eric Thibault, whose job has been in question ever since he took over.
Having vanquished the challenge of winning, the Washington Mystics now must prove that they can do it again. Basketball is no stranger to anomalies, and there are no guarantees that Washington has turned any sort of page.
The prospect of Austin returning suggests that the team may soon be at full strength. Their next test takes place in D.C. on Friday night, in a rematch with the Chicago Sky (4-6).
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