Washington loses Game 1 of the WNBA first-round series after matching a season high with 22 giveaways in a 92-77 defeat.
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The Washington Mystics were tied for the WNBA’s best record since the all-star break, set a league record for rebounds in a season and became the youngest squad to ever reach the postseason. But they had a standout weakness, and it proved lethal in Sunday’s playoff opener.
The Mystics matched a season high with 22 turnovers in a 92-77 loss to the Atlanta Dream at State Farm Arena in Atlanta in Game 1 of their first-round series. Giveaways were a concern entering the game: Washington’s 16.1 percent turnover rate in the regular season was the league’s worst.
“They’re just a very physical team. They have good defenders,” guard Sonia Citron said. “We can’t let them speed us up and do that.”
The plethora of mistakes negated an 50-31 rebound advantage.
The spiral began when the Mystics came out of the locker room. After building a five-point halftime lead, they committed seven turnovers in the third quarter, which led to 14 points for the Dream. Washington was outscored 29-12 in the frame as Atlanta shot 62.5 percent after hitting just 28.6 percent of its shots in the opening half.
Forward DeWanna Bonner led the resurgence with 11 third-quarter points off the bench, including a pair of free throws with 6:14 to go that put Atlanta in front for good. It was just her sixth game with the Dream after the Phoenix Mercury bought out her contract.
“[She was] a calming, cool presence for them,” Mystics Coach Sydney Johnson said.
Washington converted just 3 of 15 attempts in the 10-minute span, with no makes from behind the arc. The Mystics trimmed the deficit to seven in the fourth quarter, but four-time all-star Allisha Gray converted an and-one to bring the Dream’s lead back to 10 with just less than three minutes remaining. Atlanta led by double digits the rest of the way.
Johnson’s team looked tired at points. After one basket by Shakira Austin, Atlanta forward Angel Reese snuck down the floor and converted an easy transition layup. And Washington guards were beaten to the paint throughout the second half.
Rhyne Howard poured in a game-high 26 points for the Dream, converting all 10 of her free throws. Gray added 22 points, breaking out in the third quarter after a slow start.
“In that third quarter, we just let some of our discipline slip,” forward Kiki Iriafen said.
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Citron, one of eight Mystics who made their playoff debut, led the team with 25 points. Austin, whom Johnson called a top-10 player last week, was limited to just 12 points, though she grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds. It marked the center’s 21st double-double this year after she compiled 14 across her first four seasons.
But giveaways plagued both players.
Austin matched a team high with four turnovers, including more than one when she was stripped of the ball while in the paint. Her minus-14 plus-minus was a team worst. While Citron shot well, she recorded just three assists to three giveaways.
The mistakes rendered a strong first half by Washington moot.
The Mystics raced to an early lead in an unfamiliar way. Washington made the second-fewest three-pointers per game in the regular season, but in the first quarter Sunday, Johnson’s squad converted five. They finished with six threes, under their season average of 6.3.
Citron and fellow guard Georgia Amoore each drilled two three-pointers, going a combined 4 for 4 in the opening quarter to help build a 26-21 lead.
Washington put Atlanta’s frontcourt defenders into pick-and-rolls, forcing switches. With smaller guards then defending on the interior and needing help, Mystics players were frequently left open from outside the arc.
The Dream, meanwhile, hit just one of its first seven shots from three-point range. And Reese missed her first seven shots, providing little threat on the inside.
But the Mystics struggled to pull away. And their last three possessions of the first half featured two turnovers and a long three by Citron that barely grazed the rim. Largely because of 12 first-half turnovers, Washington led by only five at the break. It felt like it could have been more.
“Playoffs are the biggest stage. This is the stage that we want to be on,” Johnson said.
Washington needs to prove it’s ready for that stage at home Wednesday. If it can’t, it will mark a disappointing end to the franchise’s successful season.
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