Sonia Citron collected 26 points and 12 rebounds and Michaela Onyenwere scored a season-high 22 points to fuel the Washington Mystics to an 88-81 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday in Uncasville, Conn.
Citron made 7 of 13 shots from the floor and all 12 attempts from the free-throw line.
Onyenwere followed up three consecutive 17-point performances by sinking 8 of 12 shots from the floor — including all four attempts from 3-point range. She had not scored so many points since a 24-point outburst on July 7, 2023.
Lauren Betts added 13 points and seven rebounds in her first start for the short-handed Mystics (6-7, 3-3 in Commissioner’s Cup), who overcame the absences of Shakira Austin (knee soreness) and Kiki Iriafen (right ankle sprain).
Connecticut’s Aneesah Morrow came off the bench to produce 11 points and 10 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season.
Leila Lacan also had 11 points for the Sun (2-14, 0-6), who made just 4 of 20 shots from 3-point range (20.0%) while extending their losing streak to a season-low six in a row.
Betts made a pair of free throws to stake Washington to a 61-53 lead before Connecticut turned up the intensity and forged a 70-70 tie on Lacan’s layup with 5:46 to play.
The Mystics regained their composure. After Onyenwere drilled a layup and a 3-point attempt, Citron went on a personal 7-1 run against the Sun to give Washington an 86-75 lead with 1:29 to go.
Diamond Miller’s long 3-pointer got Connecticut as close as 86-81 with 35.2 seconds to play, but the Sun could draw no closer.
After the teams swapped the lead eight times in the first half, Kennedy Burke sank a 3-pointer to bring Connecticut within two at 50-48. Washington’s Cassandre Prosper responded from beyond the arc on the next possession, then Onyenwere added another 3-pointer to help extend the lead to 61-53.
Onyenwere scored eight of Washington’s first 12 points of the game, highlighted by draining a contested 3-pointer to help her club to an 18-14 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Mystics extended their advantage to 34-27 when Georgia Amoore set up Citron’s driving layup, then sank a 3-pointer on the next possession.
–Field Level Media
