Identity-defining wins are equally rare as they are necessary for struggling teams. You never hope for adversity, but sometimes it’s welcomed in the name of growth. As the Washington Mystics (4-15) traveled to the City of Angels to take on the Los Angeles Sparks (4-14) on Tuesday night, they were probably hoping to keep such adversity at a minimum.
They didn’t get what they hoped for, but maybe they got what they needed.
An all-too-familiar start
Two struggling teams looking anything but incompetent as the game kicked off. Each team hit four threes in the opening quarter, and neither was able to control a substantial lead.
A contested second quarter echoed the hunger of two teams in dire need of a win. Washington out-shot the Sparks by 10% from the field in the second, but five turnovers allowed Los Angeles to enter halftime up 43-38.
Coming out of halftime, the Mystics appeared to lose a step. An 8-0 Sparks’ run was capped off by a sidestep three from rookie Rickea Jackson, and Washington head coach Eric Thibault called for a timeout.
Two buckets by Myisha Hines-Allen highlighted a successful run out of the timeout for the Mystics, but they couldn’t find a way to cut Los Angeles’ lead below six. Washington only scored two baskets in the final five minutes of the third quarter.
Catalytic Parity
With the Sparks up 14 over the Mystics, a looming fourth quarter seemed something of a formality. Washington hadn’t shown life since late in the first half.
“After three quarters, I didn’t think we were playing like ourselves at all. I thought we were playing out of character. We weren’t moving the ball. We weren’t talking defensively. I didn’t think our body language was good.”
Mystics head coach Eric Thibault
Perhaps an unappreciated benefit of the Mystics core is parity. Most teams roster a couple of players whose presence on the court is a white flag, suggesting that their team is either comfortable with a late-game lead or acceptant of defeat. Sparing rookie Jakia Brown-Turner, who was signed less than a week ago following Karlie Samuelson’s injury, Washington is void of any such player.
Parity for the Mystics means that “garbage time” doesn’t exist. It also means that any lineup could foster success. An unlikely combination of Julie Vanloo, Jade Melbourne, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Emily Engstler, and Stefanie Dolson, down 52-66, ratified that notion.
It began with a Vanloo three, her fourth of the night. Next, an Engstler layup. A Walker-Kimbrough three. Dolson layup. Finally, Melbourne connected on two free throws and a coast-to-coast layup to cap off a Mystics explosion.
A 14-0 Washington run, with each player scoring one basket. Tie game. A once-deflated Mystics sideline found itself miraculously recentered.
Practicing what you preach
Thibault took a dead ball as an opportunity to return starters Ariel Atkins and Hines-Allen to the court, rewarding Melbourne and Engstler with some much-needed rest. The Sparks and Mystics traded baskets for the next few minutes, and with 1:18 left to play, both teams idled at 77 points.
As the shot clock read eight seconds, Dolson caught a deflected pass and frantically deferred the ball to Walker-Kimbrough with a handoff. Rickea Jackson, who was guarding Walker-Kimbrough, got caught on the screen, ending up on Dolson’s high side while Stephanie Talbot switched onto the ball. Dolson sealed Jackson and rolled hard to the rim, catching a perfect pass and finishing for the and-one.
The Mystics sideline erupted, but none harder than Thibault. The second-year head coach jumped in the air and clenched his fists in celebration. He had recently emphasized the need for Dolson to roll to the basket in order to unlock more offense.
Dolson, who leads the league in three-point percentage at 50.6%, frequently pops to the perimeter after screening. The pick-and-pop may free Dolson up for her signature jumpers, but it allows opposing defenses to “peel switch”. Peel switching occurs when the defender who gets screened ends up staying with Dolson on her high side rather than trailing the ball, defeating the purpose of the screen.
Started our road trip off right 😤#BallOnOurTerms | @GEICO pic.twitter.com/qJjfshqMaH
— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) July 3, 2024
Before the Mystics game against Las Vegas over the weekend, Thibault emphasized how Dolson needs to roll more to punish teams for switching:
“If you pop every time, it gets predictable and it gets easier for that defense to know where you’re gonna be. If you mix it up and sometimes you roll, sometimes you pop, and sometimes you’re in the middle, it gets a little bit more difficult.”
Thibault before matchup with Aces on 6/29
As Dolson completed the three-point play off a roll, Thibault had afforded the Mystics a shot at the much-needed comeback win.
Goodnight from Los Angeles
Both teams exchanged empty possessions, and a timeout by Los Angeles with 20 seconds remaining would be the Sparks’ last chance to tie a game that once seemed like a foregone conclusion.
Kia Nurse drove the ball from the slot and picked up her dribble, stalled by the lateral defense of Atkins. She tried to float the ball backward to Layshia Clarendon, but the outstretched arms of Walker-Kimbrough picked off the pass. A quick Sparks foul and free throw from Walker-Kimbrough solidified a two-possession lead, and the victory, for Washington.
Walker-Kimbrough was the offensive star of the night with 17 points, but five Mystics ended in double figures. The team recorded 22 assists, continuing a franchise-record 11 straight games with 20+ assists. Twelve three-pointers marked the sixth straight game with double-digit threes, another franchise record, and the third-longest streak in league history.
Although the Mystics 5-15 record is far from enchanting, the team is 5-5 over their last 10 games. Puzzle pieces that once felt foreign and disjointed are becoming aligned. An optimistic locker room is buying in.
Washington’s next opportunity to grow is a rematch with the defending champion Las Vegas Aces (11-6) on Thursday night.
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