The Washington Mystics fell to the Las Vegas Aces 91-81 on Saturday afternoon from CareFirst Arena.

After opening the game on an impressive 23-8 run, the Aces managed to flip the script in the second quarter, outscoring the Mystics over the final three periods. Following the loss for Washington both teams would split the season series 2-2.

Here is a recap from Saturday's action.

First Quarter

Washington opened with all five starters finding the basket before the midway point of the first quarter, fueling a 15-6 run to set the tone early. Kiki Iriafen made her presence felt right away, recording four points and four rebounds in the first five minutes. Her opening two boards pushed her past Hall of Famer Candace Parker for the seventh-most rebounds by a rookie in a single season. Out of an Aces timeout, the Mystics extended their lead to 23-8, but Las Vegas responded with an 11-3 run to cut into the deficit. Washington held firm and closed the quarter ahead, 26-19. Iriafen led the charge early in the opening frame with nine points and five rebounds. A’ja Wilson paced the Aces with six points. The Mystics dominated the paint to start, outscoring the Aces 12-0 inside.

Second Quarter

Las Vegas took control in the second quarter, outscoring Washington 25-13 to flip the momentum. Dana Evans sparked the surge with a three-pointer to cut the deficit to four, then drained another just over three minutes into the period to tie the game at 30. The Aces capitalized on the shift, using a 7-2 run to grab their first lead of the night, 37-32. Washington responded quickly, pulling even behind four points from Shakira Austin along with free throws from Sonia Citron and Iriafen. In the final two minutes, A’ja Wilson delivered for Las Vegas, scoring four of the team’s last five points to push the Aces ahead 44-39 at halftime. At the break, Wilson led all scorers with 17 points, while Iriafen and Austin combined for 22 for the Mystics.

Third Quarter

Striking first to open the second half, was Citron, who buried a 26-foot three-pointer to spark Washington’s offense. Wilson answered for Las Vegas six quick points, but Citron kept pace by knocking down another from deep. The Aces led 53-47, only for Washington to claw back with back-to-back buckets. Iriafen then pulled down her 10th rebound of the night at the 5:25 mark, off a Jewell Loyd missed three, securing her 14th double-double of the season. Out of the ensuing official timeout, Austin tied the game at 53 with a layup off a Citron assist. Evans quickly swung the momentum back to Vegas, exploding for 8 points in just 55 seconds to put the Aces up by six. The teams traded baskets down the final minute, and the Mystics entered the final frame trailing 68-61.

Fourth Quarter

Las Vegas put the game out of reach early in the fourth, opening the period on a 6-0 run behind Jewell Loyd and NaLyssa Smith to extend the lead to 74-61. From there, Wilson and Evans took over, combining for 15 points in the quarter as the Aces maintained control. Defensively, Vegas kept Washington from cutting the deficit back to single digits, closing out a 91-81 win to extend their winning streak to 10. The Mystics finished with three players in double figures: Sonia Citron (13), Shakira Austin (18), and Kiki Iriafen (21). Iriafen also recorded a career-high 15 rebounds, marking yet another standout performance in her rookie campaign.

Play of the Game

Game Notes

Kiki Iriafen led the Mystics with 21 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 assists. She became the second rookie in team history to record a 20-point, 15-rebound game, joining Chamique Holdsclaw (1999). It was her 14th double-double of the season, tying Holdsclaw for the second-most in a season in franchise history. Iriafen also passed Breanna Stewart for sixth-most rebounds in a season by a rookie in WNBA history and sits five rebounds shy of the Mystics’ single-season record.

Shakira Austin added 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. She has scored 15+ points in 11 games this season and moved into 15th on the team’s all-time rebounding list.

Sonia Citron finished with 13 points and 4 threes. It was her 32nd double-digit scoring game, tying Candace Parker (2008) for fourth-most by a rookie in league history. Citron has hit a three in 12 straight games, a new Mystics rookie record, and now has the most games with 4+ threes in a season by a rookie in franchise history (6).

Emily Engstler scored 8 points off the bench and recorded a steal in her ninth straight game, the second-longest streak by a reserve in team history.

Jade Melbourne had a team-high 6 assists and scored the 500th point of her career.

Additional Notes: Washington outscored Las Vegas in the paint 38-26. Alysha Clark made her first start since August 2022. The Mystics recorded 21 assists (7th time in last 8 games with 20+), and attempted 28 free throws, their league-leading 24th game with 20+ attempts.

Stat Leaders

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Looking Ahead

Washington will conclude its back-to-back weekend matchups at home vs. the Seattle Storm with tip-off at 3 PM ET.