With the clock winding down and the game hanging in the balance, Shakira Austin stepped to the line. Two free throws. Two points. Two seconds left. And the chance to give the Mystics a win they had clawed and battled for all afternoon.

She sank them both.

That was the final touch in what had been a back-and-forth matchup between Washington and Chicago on Tuesday morning in front of a packed house at EagleBank Arena.

Powered by timely buckets, gritty defense, and big-time plays from its rising stars, Washington held on for a 81-79 win, their fifth straight against the Sky.

From the opening tip, both teams came out firing. Jade Melbourne and Sonia Citron got the Mystics rolling with a pair of threes, giving the crowd an early reason to erupt. Washington’s bench came through early, Melbourne and Stefanie Dolson combined for 12 points in the first, helping the team to a 22-19 lead.

The energy only ramped up from there.

Brittney Sykes sparked a 10-2 run to open the second quarter, igniting the Mystics' momentum. But Chicago refused to let the game slip away. Angel Reese put together a strong second quarter, muscling her way to eight points and helping the Sky close the gap. Just before halftime, Aaliyah Edwards made sure the Mystics didn’t lose their grip, scoring six quick points to send Washington into the break up five.

The third quarter brought more of the same, big runs, big answers. Austin opened the second half with six points of her own, then Kiki Iriafen went to work inside, stretching the Mystics’ lead to double digits. But once again, the Sky punched back. A 9-0 run tied things up before the quarter ended, and the crowd could feel it: this one was going down to the wire.

Sure enough, it did.

The fourth quarter turned into a showcase of composure, and of future stars rising to the moment. Citron knocked down a deep three. Sykes hit a tough jumper. Then Chicago landed what looked like a late knockout punch, free throws from Reese and a layup from Elizabeth Williams gave the Sky a 70-66 lead. But the Mystics didn’t blink.

Sykes converted a tough three-point play to cut it to one. Then, with just under a minute left, Citron launched a 27-foot three and buried it, giving Washington a one-point edge and sending the arena into a frenzy. Sykes followed with a silky midrange jumper. But Banham answered with a corner three for Chicago to tie it again.

Then came the final moments: a lost Sky challenge. A layup by Austin. Two free throws by Reese to tie it. And finally, the foul that sent Austin to the line, where she calmly knocked down both shots with 2.1 seconds remaining. Chicago’s last-ditch heave fell short. Ball game.

"In the huddle, I’m looking at a younger group that’s still finding its way, learning how to win and execute in those final four minutes," said head coach Sydney Johnson. "And I just felt like, in that moment, I was talking to them in a way where they already knew what I was going to say, what the points of emphasis were, how to close the game out."

Austin finished with 15 points, eight boards, and two huge free throws. She recorded her fifth game this season with multiple blocks. She posted multiple steals and blocks in the same game for the third time this season and fifth time in her career. (last: 6/20/25 @ ATL).

Iriafen recorded her sixth double-double of the year and tied a franchise rookie record. She recorded her sixth game with 10+ rebounds, tying Shakira Austin for second-most by a rookie in franchise history.

Citron delivered yet again, scoring 13 and grabbing eight rebounds, while extending her three-point streak to eight games, the longest by any rookie this season. Citron has recorded at least one steal in 10 of her last 11 games. She notched her ninth game this season with 10+ points and 5+ rebounds, second-most among WNBA rookies.

Sykes added 11 points and dished out a team-high four assists.

Washington controlled several key areas of the game, starting with their dominance in the paint, where they outscored the Sky 46–30. The Mystics' bench also delivered a strong showing, contributing 22 points to Chicago’s 11.

Defensively, Washington capitalized on Chicago’s mistakes, turning 16 turnovers into 14 points, marking the seventh time in their last eight games they’ve scored 10 or more points off opponent giveaways. On the glass, the Mystics pulled down 13 offensive rebounds, tying the most Chicago has allowed in a single game all season.

It was a total team win, and the kind of gritty, gutsy performance that leaves you with the feeling this young Mystics group is building something special.

The Mystics will be back at it Thursday night, closing out their run at EagleBank Arena against the Las Vegas Aces.