Mystics’ full team effort too much for the Sky

Coach T said it best during his postgame interview, “we needed that kind of a win tonight.” On the heels of just missing a comeback against Los Angeles on Friday, the Mystics showed the crowd at Capital One Arena what a healthy roster looks, and plays, like. Chicago kept pace with the Mystics throughout the first quarter; ending the period at 24-21, Mystics on top, but Washington brought the full-court press to take it away before the half.

Takeaways from the Mystics’ victory over the Sky:

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

With the return of guard Tayler Hill, the clouds have officially parted on the Mystics roster – displaying a full 12 healthy players for the first time this season. During his postgame interview Coach Thibault told reporters, “it was fun to watch 12 players warm up.” When pressed for changes to come with Hill back and healthy, Coach T said he’s looking for players to earn minutes at practice – noting that it is a rare opportunity to have a game where you can play all 12 players. Coach also touched on the energy of the team in the victory over the Sky, expressing that the whole mood of the team felt good. That team mentality clearly translated on the court, the Mystics’ 26 assists bested Chicago’s 14 for the night.

D-D-D-Defense

Outside of field goal percentage, where the Mystics were shooting 44.6% to the Sky’s 29.7%, the stat sheet was borderline equal on the offensive side of the ball – both teams logging 6 three-pointers, 16 free throws, and approximately 30 rebounds each. The breakaway game on the defensive end with Washington taking 13 steals and 9 blocks to the Sky’s 6 and 4, respectively.

T. Hill back on the Scene

A sight for sore eyes, Mystics guard Tayler Hill made her 2018 debut Tuesday night against the Sky – immediately letting the crowd know she’s locked in with a pair of threes. Hill’s presence has been absent from the Mystics’ backcourt since she went down in the middle of the 2017 season with a torn right ACL. Coach T said the focus for upcoming games is to get Hill’s feet wet, which will help take a load off by spreading the floor.

Toliver & Delle Donne do it Again

Double trouble was back at it Tuesday night. Not quite on par with their numbers versus the Sun last week, Kristi Toliver and Elena Delle Donne still put on another show during the matchup against Chicago. Toliver led the night with 19 points and 8 assists, which Delle Donne supported nicely with 14 points and 2 rebounds. Natasha Cloud also made her presence known on both sides of the ball; Coach T giving her a pat on the back during his postgame in reference to her strong start defensively when matching up against the Sky’s Allie Quigley. Coach T also gave a shout out to Krystal Thomas, calling this her best offensive game of the year with 6 rebounds, 4 points and 1 assist.

Next up: Rematch on the road versus the Sky

Fans won’t have to wait long for a rematch against these two teams. Chicago pairs up with the Mystics again on Friday, June 22, at Wintrust Arena in Chi-town.