The Washington Mystics turned defense into art on Saturday night at CareFirst Arena.

With Wizards forward Cam Whitmore in attendance, the Mystics defeated the Seattle Storm 69-58, fueled by key stops, fourth-quarter composure, and a record-setting effort on the glass.

Hustle plays and hard-nosed defense defined the game, and Shakira Austin and Sonia Citron led the charge.

The first quarter was chaos in motion, seven lead changes, five in a minute. To start, both teams came out swinging; however, it was Washington’s defense that landed the first true blow. As Seattle tried to find its rhythm, Citron read a Nneka Ogwumike pass midair and picked it clean.

The Mystics forced six turnovers in the first frame alone, converting them into eight points. Even with Ogwumike pouring in 14 points early, Washington kept the Storm from gaining too much traction. Seattle held a 21-16 edge after one, yet the Mystics were only getting warmed up.

In the second quarter, the energy shifted. Back-to-back buckets from Austin chipped away at the deficit. After Seattle briefly stretched their lead to eight, the Mystics stormed back with a 14-2 run. Sykes and Sutton powered the surge with 11 points, and a deep three from Jade Melbourne that brought the crowd to its feet.

Yet it wasn’t just offense that flipped the script, it was resistance. First, Citron recorded her second block of the night, and Stefanie Dolson came away with a block of her own, keeping the defensive intensity high. The tone was clear: nothing easy.

By halftime, Washington had flipped a five-point deficit into a five-point lead, heading into the locker room up 40-35.

The third quarter was where the Mystics took over. They opened on a 10-0 run and never looked back. The Storm managed just 10 points in the period as Washington’s defense was ready for everything in sight.

Austin and Sutton continued to pace the offense, combining for 12 points in the quarter, and sending the Mystics into the fourth up 60-45.

“I feel like we’re really hard to guard when we share the ball and move it around," Sutton said postgame. "We can get whatever we want offensively. I think today our defense really fueled our offense, in the first, second, and third quarters we were really good. We got a little stagnant in the fourth, but when we move the ball and play together, we’re really tough to stop.”

Ultimately, the real impact came through contests, closeouts, and relentless pressure. It was a defensive masterclass, and one that the fourth quarter would demand more of.

Seattle came out swinging in the fourth, slicing a 15-point deficit to just four with an 11-0 run. As momentum teetered, Washington held firm.

With three minutes left and the Mystics clinging to a 61-56 lead, Seattle’s Erica Wheeler attacked the rim, only for Austin to meet her at the summit with a thunderous rejection that sent the ball flying out of bounds and the crowd into a frenzy.

Sykes followed up with a pair of drives to the hoop to stretch the lead, and Austin iced it at the line. Final score: Mystics 69, Storm 58.

The win was a physical one, and thanks to a trio of relentless rebounders, historic. For the first time in franchise history, three Mystics players finished with double-digit rebounds in the same game: Austin (11), Kiki Iriafen (11), and Citron (10). That feat has happened just 20 times in WNBA history.

Austin led the way with 14 points, 11 boards, and two game-altering blocks, marking her third double-double of the season.

Citron added 11 points, 10 rebounds, a steal, and two blocks, her third career double-double and a new personal best for blocks in a game.

Sutton chipped in 13 points on 55% shooting, and Sykes added 11 points and five assists, becoming the 15th player in Mystics history to record 300+ assists with the franchise.

Washington will have a quick turnaround on Sunday as they will be right back at CareFirst to host the Phoenix Mercury.