After their first season-opening win on the road since 2015, the Washington Mystics host the New York Liberty in a Mother’s Day matinee.
Washington, the WNBA’s youngest team with eight rookies and three second-year players on the roster, spoiled the debut of the expansion Toronto Tempo on Friday night with a 68-65 win. Sonia Citron led the way with 26 points while Shakira Austin had 18, including four clutch free throws in the final minute to seal the victory.
“I knew I was going to make them,” Austin said. “No, I don’t know, I was struggling the past month with my free throw shooting and that’s something I wanted to focus on, because I want to be fouled, I want to get to the rim, but those free throws was the calmest I was the whole game.”
Mystics top draft pick Lauren Betts played 12 minutes in Toronto and went 0-for-4 with five rebounds.
Washington is undergoing another major youth movement after finishing 16-28 last season, which ended with a 10-game losing streak.
“We’re just focusing on the now,” Citron said. “Obviously, it’s exciting what we’re building here. … Just taking it one day at a time.”
Meanwhile, the debut for new Liberty coach Chris DeMarco was a rousing success on Friday. Despite playing without Sabrina Ionescu (ankle) and Satou Sabally (illness), the Liberty romped past Connecticut 106-75, scoring 36 points in the first quarter and never looking back.
“We wanted to punch first knowing that this is a season opener, home opener, a lot of different things, a lot of different people here, some familiar people here,” Breanna Stewart said, per the New York Post. “This is us turning the page … and focusing on what we have now, making sure that we start the season strong.”
Stewart had 31 points and went over 6,000 in her WNBA career, adding 10 rebounds. Marine Johannes scored 17 points with five 3-pointers.
The Liberty started last season 9-0 before slumping due injuries and were bounced in the first round of the playoffs.
New York has won eight straight meetings with Washington dating back to the 2023 regular-season finale.
–Field Level Media
