Backed by season-best performances from the newcomer to the team and the veteran leader of the squad, the Mystics withstood a pesky Sun attack and held on for the 89-82 victory Sunday night at Verizon Center. They improved to 8-6 on the season and now stand in sole possession of third place in the crowded Eastern Conference standings. The ‘Stics, winners of two in a row, shot an astounding 48.3% from the field, including going 7-15 from three-point range. The Sun fell to 7-7 on the year and have now lost six in a row after getting their season off to such a great start, beginning 7-1.
Coach Thibault, happy with his team’s performance, acknowledged that going with bigger lineups down the stretch was a key to victory. “That’s a good win. They’re a very physical team, they’re hard to play against. They’ve got great shooters as you’ve seen… It was a physical game and I decided to go with a big lineup down the stretch so we could make sure they didn’t get second shots and we could kind of control the size matchups that they had on us.”
One of those bigs, LaToya Sanders, playing in just her fourth game of the season for the Mystics, scored 17 points on 5-11 shooting to set a new season high, topping her previous best 14-point performance against the Fever only two nights ago. But the leading scorer for the ‘Stics was none other than one of the most invaluable members of this team, one who offers a calming presence and sense of leadership in seemingly every crucial situation, 13-year WNBA veteran Kara Lawson. She started the game off shooting the ball hot from all over the court and continued that stellar play throughout, on the way to a season-best 24-point performance on 8-11 shooting from the floor.
Thibault was thoroughly impressed by both performances but has been especially thrilled with Sanders’ quick and flawless transition onto this team, noting, “I don’t know what I expected. I just hoped you know that she would start helping us a little at a time. We’ve put a lot on her shoulders in a short amount of time… But she’s been everything we could hope for.” Additionally, at this point, he has just come to expect big-time, clutch performances from Lawson, his veteran leader. “Tonight, Kara comes out and makes outside shots and opened up the floor for everybody else.”
And not to be taken for granted, Mystics star Stefanie Dolson continued what she seems to be doing almost every game these days, dominating the paint on both ends of the court and scoring the ball with ease. She finished the contest with 20 points on 8-15 shooting to go along with a very solid eight boards. She, combined with Sanders and Lawson, accounted for nearly 70% of the Mystics’ total offensive output.
Lawson got the game started on the right foot for the ‘Stics, shooting the ball lights-out and scoring 13 quick points to give Washington the early 22-15 advantage after the first period. But the Sun, determined to end their five-game skid, would not go down easy, as, led by Alex Bentley’s (18 points, 8-14 shooting) and Shekinna Stricklen’s (19 points, 7-13 shooting) sharp shooting, they outscored the Mystics by 11 points in the second quarter, en route to a 41-39 halftime lead for the Sun.
The third quarter featured very even play from both squads, setting the stage for the fourth and final quarter with the score tied at 59. That’s when Sanders, Dolson, and recently appointed starter Natasha Cloud decided to take over. The final four minutes of play included three points and multiple, clutch offensive and defensive rebounds by Dolson, three points and a couple of crucial strip steals by Cloud, and six points on smooth mid-range shooting from Sanders. That all but sealed the deal for the Mystics, who have now won both of their contests against the sputtering Sun so far this season.
Lawson, who has come up big whenever needed all season long, could not have been happier with her team’s performances this weekend, a great way to put a three-game losing streak in the rear-view mirror. She commented, “We’re growing and it just feels really good. We went three weeks without a win and that’s hard. Hard on you mentally, you’re coming in every day to practice. We got one more before the break and it’d be really good going into break to get three in a row.”
Looking forward, the Mystics, fresh off their 2-0 weekend sweep at home, will now travel to Tulsa to take on the Shock Tuesday afternoon in their final game before hitting the All-Star break.
Said LaToya Sanders, “We’re just out there having fun…It just translates to the game.”
Let’s hope it continues to translate come Tuesday.