The Washington Mystics and Atlanta Dream thrive in the same region of the court — but through different approaches.
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Atlanta and Washington ranked first and second, respectively, in the WNBA in paint points per game this season. They were also the league’s two top rebounding squads. So the clash on the inside could be critical when their best-of-three quarterfinal series tips off Sunday in Atlanta.
“Everything that we’ve done to date has positioned us here,” Mystics Coach Sydney Johnson said. “Let’s continue to get better, smooth out our weaknesses and see what we got coming.”
Washington’s frontcourt has led its scoring success around the rim. The opposite is true for Atlanta.
Three of the Dream’s four leading scorers are guards, with Allisha Gray spearheading the attack after posting a team-high 19 points per game. Fellow guard Rhyne Howard sits just below that mark while converting 3.1 three-pointers per game — making her the sole player in this series who averaged more than two made threes per game.
The dynamic backcourt will be tested against a Mystics defense that surrendered the second-fewest points per game this season.
“Our identity is our defense,” guard Sonia Citron said.
Angel Reese is Atlanta’s only true frontcourt threat. The forward led the WNBA with 12.1 rebounds per game and also averaged 16.4 points.
Reese exited the Dream’s season finale against the New York Liberty on Wednesday after being hit in the face just before halftime. Coach Karl Smesko said Reese was cleared by medical staff to return but the team elected to sit her as a precaution. She’ll probably be needed against a Washington offense that excels through overpowering opponents.
Center Shakira Austin and forward Kiki Iriafen were two of the Mystics’ three leading scorers. Austin, largely expected to win the WNBA’s most improved player award, averaged a career-best 17 points and 9.5 rebounds. The 26-year-old didn’t miss a game for the first time in her five-year career. But health concerns arose Thursday.
During the fourth quarter of the Mystics’ win over the Chicago Sky, Austin hit the floor hard after being fouled on a shot. She got up gingerly before shooting free throws and leaving the game shortly after. Johnson didn’t have an update on Austin following the game but said he’s “expecting that she’ll be with us.”
The Mystics — the youngest playoff team ever, whose roster features eight rookies — will almost certainly need Austin, one of just three Washington players with postseason experience.
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Iriafen has taken large strides as a scorer in her second season but is not the same shot creator as Austin. Citron, the team’s second-leading scorer, would probably shoulder a massive workload in the center’s absence after posting 16.8 points per game and a team-high 4.4 assists.
She’ll also be relied on to slow Atlanta’s guards. Citron is Washington’s only player who averaged more than one steal per game.
The Mystics ranked in the bottom five of the WNBA in forced turnovers per game, as Johnson said they prioritized “possession defense” — avoiding allowing easy scoring chances. Citron described the team’s defense as “five-on-one,” meaning everyone helps each other.
Atlanta, meanwhile, led the league in turnovers forced. It also ranked second in the WNBA in rebounds. The only team the Dream trailed? Washington.
“Defense always travels, and defense is literally going to win games, especially the way we rebound,” guard Georgia Amoore said. “Defense and rebounding will win you games in [the] playoffs, especially.”
Washington broke the single-season rebound record — and outrebounded its opponent in 40 games, the highest total in WNBA history. A rare exception came Tuesday against the Connecticut Sun, when the Mystics were outdone on the glass. Before Thursday’s game, Johnson highlighted rebounding as an area where he sought improvement.
His team delivered: Washington outrebounded Chicago 44-27. Iriafen collected 15 boards, while Austin added 11. The pair became the first teammates to average at least 9.5 rebounds per game in a season.
“Rebounds win games,” forward Michaela Onyenwere said. “They win championships.”
The Mystics won two of three regular season games against the Dream. In both victories, Washington won the matchup on the glass. In the loss, it was outrebounded by 16.
Neither team has enjoyed postseason success recently. Atlanta hasn’t won a playoff series since 2016, while Washington hasn’t won a playoff game since its championship-clinching victory over the Sun in 2019.
One of those droughts will end. The battle on the interior could determine which.
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