Fresh off a busy trade deadline for both sides, the Washington Mystics traveled to Minnesota and gave the team with the best record in the WNBA all it could handle before the Lynx pulled out an 80-76 win in Minneapolis.
Alanna Smith led the way with 25 points — her first time in double digits in three games — which included a team-high four baskets from beyond the arc. Courtney Williams added 14 points with five assists and the bench backcourt duo DiJonai Carrington and Natisha Hiedeman added 12 and seven points, respectively.
Friday was Carrington’s first home game in Minnesota since the Lynx (26-5) traded for her from the Dallas Wings on Sunday.
With less than a minute remaining, Washington rookie Sonia Citron tied the game at 76-76 with a 3-pointer but Williams responded with a 16-foot jumper off the inbound pass. The referees called a foul on Williams on the next defensive possession but a second consecutive successful challenge by Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve kept the lead in the home team’s favor.
The first challenge came when Citron went to the basket with 1:30 remaining in the game and earned a foul on Carrington. The call was overturned following the challenge, giving the Lynx possession as Smith grabbed the rebound on the missed Citron attempt.
On the subsequent possession, Kayla McBride charged the basket and drew a foul with the shot clock expiring. She hit both free throws to give the game its final score.
Minnesota was down 22-11 in the first quarter but charged back to take a three-point halftime lead. While the Lynx were still without MVP candidate Napheesa Collier, out with a right ankle sprain, the Mystics (13-17) were without Brittney Sykes and Aaliyah Edwards after both were traded earlier in the week.
Sykes was the Mystics’ leading scorer at the time of the trade.
Jacy Sheldon, whom the Mystics acquired for Edwards, did not make it to Minnesota with the team, which forced the visitors to play with a shorter bench.
Citron led Washington with 26 points and went 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. Fellow rookie Kiki Iriafen added 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Veteran forward Shakira Austin added 12 points with five rebounds.
–Field Level Media
