The cellar-dwelling Connecticut Sun dealt a significant blow to the Mystics’ postseason aspirations by recording an 80-69 victory on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
The Sun (7-27) will attempt to complete a home-and-home sweep of the Mystics (16-19) on Thursday when the teams reconvene in Uncasville, Conn.
Washington was outscored 26-12 in the second quarter and saw its 15 turnovers converted into 21 points. The setback dropped the Mystics to 1 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Seattle Storm for the last playoff berth with nine games remaining on their schedule.
“We’re certainly not trying to have a slipup or things of that nature, but we haven’t put the playoff word up on the board,” Washington head coach Sydney Johnson said. “We’re trying to play a certain way, day in and day out.”
All-Star Sonia Citron, the No. 3 overall pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft, poured in 19 points on Tuesday for 537 in 35 games this season to surpass the legendary Chamique Holdsclaw (525 in 31 games) for most points by a rookie in franchise history.
Fellow rookie Kiki Iriafen added nine points to go along with 12 rebounds on Tuesday. Iriafen, who was selected with the fourth overall pick of the 2025 draft, just missed registering a double-double for five conseuctive games.
Saniya Rivers scored 17 points off the bench on Tuesday for the Sun, whose reserves enjoyed a 45-11 edge over those of the Mystics.
Olivia Nelson-Ododa had 15 points off the bench and Aaliyah Edwards added eight in her first game against the team that drafted her with the sixth overall pick in 2024.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” Edwards said of returning to the nation’s capital, per the Washington Post, after being dealt at the trade deadline two weeks ago to Connecticut. “… I never thought this would happen in my sophomore year. It’s just a part of the game.”
Starter Tina Charles recorded 13 points and nine rebounds on Tuesday for the Sun, who ended a 13-game road losing skid and are 2-15 away from home.
The Mystics won the previous two meetings between the teams this season.
–Field Level Media
