The Washington Mystics fell to the Phoenix Mercury, 88-72, on Sunday night at CareFirst Arena.

The opening quarter mirrored the Mystics' Saturday evening win over the Seattle Storm with a first quarter full of lead changes, 10 in total, during a tightly contested opening stretch.

Early on, Shakira Austin set the tone with eight points and a block on 4-of-7 shooting. Meanwhile, Jade Melbourne brought instant energy off the bench, adding six points, including a buzzer-beating drive that gave Washington a 23-21 lead heading into the second quarter.

As the game progressed into the second period, the Mystics continued to ride the momentum, fueled by consistent production from Austin and Melbourne. Together, they combined for 11 points in the period and 25 by halftime. Although Washington struggled from beyond the arc (2-of-9), its defense rose to the occasion, limiting Phoenix to just 2-of-13 shooting from deep. While both teams did most of their damage in the paint (48 combined paint points), Washington capitalized at the free throw line, going nearly perfect (14-of-15) to enter halftime with a 46-42 advantage.

However, the tide turned after the break. Phoenix opened the third quarter with renewed energy, outscoring Washington 22-11. During a key stretch, an 11-2 Mercury run, fueled by buckets from five different players, gave Phoenix a 53-48 lead. Shortly after, Lucy Olsen answered with a deep three to bring the Mystics back within two. Even so, Alyssa Thomas took over late in the period, pouring in nine of her 11 points in the final three minutes to extend the Mercury’s lead to 68-58 heading into the fourth.

Then, to open the final quarter, Phoenix struck quickly with a 10-3 run, powered by six points from Kitija Laksa. However, the Mystics responded with a 9-0 burst, capped by a deep three from Emily Engstler that trimmed the deficit to single digits. Nevertheless, the Mercury regained control down the stretch, closing the game on a 10-2 run to secure the win.

Shakira Austin posted her sixth career 20+ point game (third this season), along with eight boards, two blocks, and four offensive rebounds (tying a career high). She extended her streak of games with a block to seven and has now recorded multiple blocks in four straight outings for the first time in her career.

Sonia Citron finished with 13 points and moved into fourth place all-time in points by a Mystics rookie (332), passing Bria Hartley. She became the fourth rookie in franchise history with 20+ games of 10+ points.

Jade Melbourne dropped 13 points off the bench with four assists and a season-high three steals. Her 11 first-half points were her most this season and second-most of her career.

Kiki Iriafen grabbed 10 rebounds, moving into third place for most boards by a Mystics rookie (211), becoming the youngest Mystic, and fourth youngest WNBA player, to hit 200 career rebounds.

Emily Engstler scored a season-high eight in her 100th career game, knocking down multiple threes for the first time this season.

Brittney Sykes tied her season high with three steals.

The Mystics will return to action on Tuesday night, hosting the Chicago Sky with tip-off at 7:30 EDT.