It’s probably a good thing the Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics had a few days off. They both needed the recovery time.
They’ll be back in action when they meet Thursday night in Washington.
The Dream (12-7) are looking for a turnaround. They hadn’t lost back-to-back games this season until dropping three straight on their West Coast — with Saturday’s 105-90 loss at Seattle the most recent setback.
“It’s still early in the season, so these are the types of things you want to experience early so you can learn from them so when it gets to playoff time, it’s not too late,” said Dream guard Allisha Gray.
The Mystics (9-9) lost two in a row before Sunday’s 124-123 four-overtime survival against visiting Portland, which tied the WNBA record for most overtimes in a game.
“I’ve never experienced this,” Mystics coach Sydney Johnson said. “Love the resiliency. … I thought our Mystics were outstanding just in terms of never quitting. It’s easy to get discouraged. They didn’t.”
Four Washington players logged 47 or more minutes in the Portland game.
Despite the grueling nature of the Mystics’ most recent game, Johnson believes there will be long-term benefits for his players.
“You can put a lot in the memory bank and add to the experience that they’re having,” Johnson said. “That’s going to add to the film work and court sessions.”
Part of the growth for the Mystics might have been seen in Michaela Onyenwere, who has played 14 games in her first season with Washington. She scored 30 points in 49 minutes against Portland.
The Mystics might be short-handed after starting guard Georgia Amoore left Sunday’s game with a right knee ailment. She played only 12 minutes and is listed as questionable for Thursday’s game. Top scorer Sonia Citron (18.6 ppg), who poured in 32 points in 53 minutes against the Fire, also is questionable with a sore right knee.
Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard is coming off a 27-point outburst versus Seattle. Gray eclipsed the 4,500-point mark for her career in that game.
The Dream defeated visiting Washington 109-77 on June 6 with five players — led by Howard’s 19 points — scoring in double figures. The visit from the Dream marks the second game in a four-game homestand for Washington.
–Field Level Media
