With three of five starters injured indefinitely, some may say that the Washington Mystics have been dealt a bad hand. Lined up against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, they look to be playing a different game altogether.
A glance at the star-studded Vegas roster feels like drawing pocket Aces in poker. Peeking at the Mystics depth chart is more reminiscent of being hit with a “draw-four” in Uno.
Plaguing injuries weren’t enough to stop fans from selling out Entertainment & Sports Arena for the eighth time this season. Southeast D.C. was humming with excitement. Everyone loves an underdog.
Everyone also loves A’ja Wilson.
As Wilson warmed up before the mid-afternoon tip-off, scattered pockets of fans swarmed the Aces side of the court. Mystics head coach Eric Thibault watched intently from the sideline, perhaps trying to manifest a “David vs. Goliath” moment.
Pregame, Thibault gave Wilson high praise and made it clear that stopping the perennial all-star was Washington’s first priority:
“She sets the tone for their whole organization. She just gets better every year. She’s won a couple MVPs, and even when she won it, she got better.”
The battle of the bigs
Thibaults determination to quiet Wilson’s dominance was clear as soon as the opening tip was controlled. A double team was en route if she caught the ball below the free-throw line. Washington was insisting someone else beat them.
Mystics center Stefanie Dolson came out firing, hitting three three-pointers in the first quarter. Her shooting has become a catalyst for offense far beyond makes and misses. She commands perimeter attention, forcing opposing centers out of their low-block comfort zone. Wilson leads the league in blocks, but couldn’t lurk around the restricted area without being punished by a Dolson jumper.
BOW!!!!!!
— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) June 29, 2024
Energy Moment of the Game | @DCElec_Alliance pic.twitter.com/JpmeVK3l7A
Dolson is well aware of the responsibility she has to space the floor for her teammates:
“Drawing my defender out as much as I can opens up the lane for Aaliyah, [Myisha], Julie and [Ariel] to get downhill. Hopefully I just keep shooting with confidence, and hopefully they keep going in.”
Schematic warfare
Aces head coach Becky Hammon always has a few tricks up her sleeve, and a 28-point Mystics first quarter clearly called for some adjustment. Vegas started the second period in a 2-3 zone, enabling their shot-blocking forwards by keeping them near the rim rather than being glued to Dolson on the perimeter.
With Dolson neutralized, the Mystics rummaged for a new scoring outlet. Jade Melbourne may not be D.C.’s go-to offensive engine, but she was up to the challenge.
Melbourne, the youngest player in the WNBA despite being in her second year, has a special relationship with the Aces. Her first career game came against Las Vegas on opening night in 2023, which she reminisced on during warmups:
“We got dumped by 40, I remember that. This year I’m a year older, I’m more confident, and I think the move to D.C. has really helped my game… Vegas can expect a more confident and better Jade Melbourne today.”
Melbourne’s sophomore confidence provided the much-needed spark for the Mystics to break the Vegas zone. She drilled a catch-and-shoot corner three to cut a 6-0 Vegas run at the beginning of the quarter. Less than a minute later, she blew by Kiah Stokes for a wide-open layup.
Becky Hammon had seen enough and called off the zone. Consecutive threes from Dolson and Julie Vanloo extended a 13-3 Mystics run and put Washington up 11 over the defending champs. An animated crowd was buying into the potential upset.
Las Vegas was able to cut the lead to six by the half, but they were playing well below their standards.
Wilson was scoreless through two quarters. Kelsey Plum only made one shot. The only thing separating the Aces from an inescapable deficit was the first-half heroics of Jackie Young, but even her 19 points felt unsustainable.
A tale of two halves
The oft-cited law of averages would suggest that the Aces’ first-half struggles weren’t here to stay. They were too experienced and too talented to go down without a fight. After a slow start to the third quarter, both teams started trading blows.
Vegas scored eight straight. Washington responded with a 9-2 run of their own.
A nine-point quarter from Chelsea Gray relieved Young of her scoring duties, while the Mystics survived through a familiar committee-based offensive approach.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the wavering Washington lead had been reduced to a tie. The crowd erupted in protest as Wilson stole a pass and appeared to step out of bounds but was met with no whistle. Vegas pushed the ball frantically down the floor, and as Jackie Young barreled into the chest of Ariel Atkins, all eyes turned towards the sideline referee, eager to see if the Mystics would be rewarded with a charge.
Blocking foul. Chaos.
Any composure lost by the crowd was reflected tenfold by the Mystics. Atkins was booked for the foul with 7:03 left in the fourth quarter. The Mystics scored four points for the entire remainder of the game.
Greener grass
A game that was once 73-73 ended 88-77. Washington’s eight-point fourth quarter left an ugly stain on what once seemed to be a promising performance.
Wilson ended with 11 points. She was undoubtedly contained, but maybe the Mystics afforded her too much attention. Young and Gray, the backcourt beneficiaries of Wilson’s gravity, combined for 48 points.
“I’ve seen enough of [Wilson’s] movies to know what happens when you let her get going. [We] tried to make it hard, but some other people made us pay.”
Mystics head coach Eric Thibault after the game
If Washington dialed in on Young and Gray, maybe Wilson would have taken over. Maybe the grass is always greener on the other side. Maybe, just maybe, the Aces were the better team.
As the Mystics fall to 4-15, bright spots are dimming. Dolson’s frequent brilliance is encouraging, but offensive stagnation has become a recurring theme in contested games.
It’s unclear when starting forward Shakira Austin will return. Brittney Sykes and Karlie Samuelson have been confirmed to be out until at least the Olympic break in late July. Until then, the Mystics may continue to coast through mediocrity.
Washington’s next game, a meeting with the 4-14 Sparks on Tuesday night, could provide welcome relief.
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