The Washington Mystics saved their best basketball for the final quarter, rallying past the Seattle Storm with a dominant fourth-quarter performance to earn an 84-79 victory on Sunday. Washington turned the game around with their surge defense, holding Seattle to just 28.6% while outscoring the Storm 20-11 in the final quarter.
Mystics center Shakira Austin led the team with 27 points, shooting 10-of-18 from the field, two-of-four beyond the arc, while recording five rebounds, one assist, and one block against the Storm.
“I [saw] that they were in a good groove,” said Austin. “Seattle had [come] out and we were down for a little bit and I just knew that the team was going to need me. And just for myself, being able to be dependable is something I continuously work on every day.”
The comeback was fueled by 10 of Austin’s points as guard Sonia Citron added 19 points, and forward Kiki Iriafen topped it all off recording a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Storm guard Natasha Hiedeman led Seattle with a staggering 31 points. Hiedeman got to a fast start and consistently carried the Storm offensively throughout the first three quarters. However, Washington’s defense limited her to just four points in the fourth quarter, which opened the door for the Mystics to have such a riveting comeback.
“It’s just about stacking those days and taking confidence from that… We may not have won as many games as we wanted although we are thrilled to get [the 84-79 victory over the Storm] and thrilled about the progress that we’ve made,” said head coach Sydney Johnson.
The Washington Mystics will hit the road to face the Toronto Tempo on Tuesday, July 14, at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Washington will be back home at CareFirst Arena on July 16 to host the Portland Fire. Thursday’s tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
