In today’s WNBA roundup, the Washington Mystics win a tough game against the Chicago Skies via clutch free throws and
Shakira Austin Making Wonders for the Mystics
The Mystics had a 10-point lead in the 2nd quarter, but the Skies kept in pace and came back in the ball game in their match last night, July 8 (Philippine Date and Time).
Before going to halftime, Aaliyah Edwards gets an and-1 basket to give Washington a 5-point lead, 40-35. In the 3rd quarter though, Angel Reese of Chicago sparked the comeback for her squad as she already had a double-double performance (12 points and 10 rebounds) with still 8 minutes left.
To start the 4th quarter, Washington’s lead was only 2 points, 56-54. Reese gave her team a 2-point advantage with 2:50 remaining, 76-74, until Sonia Citron of the Mystics hit a clutch 3-pointer with a minute and 36 left.
Brittney Sykes shoots a contested mid-range to give her team a 77-74 lead, but Rachel Banham ties the game with a 3-pointer with 46 seconds remaining. Shakira Austin made a layup with under 26 to go, giving back the lead to the Mystics while Angel Reese made 2 clutch free throws to tie the game, 79-all under 14.9 seconds.
With no timeouts left, Austin gets fouled attempting a layup and makes 2 clutch free throws as well. 2.8 seconds remaining, Rachel Banham throws up a prayer but misses it.
Final Score: 81-79
Despite Austin only shooting 5-of-11 from the field and 5-of-13 from the charity stripe, a win is a win for her. She finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks playing 24 minutes.
Her teammate, Citron, ended up with 13 points, 8 boards, 3 assists, and a steal. Both Kiki Iriafen and Sykes had 11 points each. Iriafen had a double-double performance with 10 rebounds, dishing out 2 dimes and a block, while Sykes had 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.
For the side of Chicago, Angel Reese led her team in scoring with 22 and also had 15 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and an impressive shooting from the free throw line going 12-of-15.
Elizabeth Williams also had 20 points, 7 rebounds, an assist, and a block. Banham shot 50% from deep, going 3-of-6 and ending up with 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
Mystics became 9-10 and the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Skies suffered 2-straight losses and are now 5-13 and are the 5th seed in the East as well.
Washington will play the Los Angeles Aces next on July 11, and Chicago faces the Dallas Wings tomorrow, July 10.
Sabrina Ionescu Helps New York To Stay On Top
Sabrina Ionescu had her own personal 9-0 run in the 2nd quarter to help the New York Liberty win against the Los Angeles Aces. But the Aces fought their way back into the game.
Before entering halftime, Jackie Young made a layup to give her team a 42-40 lead. It was a back-and-forth third quarter with Ionescu and Breanna Stewart leading the charge for New York. No team had a double-digit lead in the third frame.
It was a wire-to-wire final quarter with Sabrina having her imprints all over the match, orchestrating the Liberty’s offense and allowing Stewart, Kennedy Burke, as well as Leonie Fiebich, to score from her passes.
Final Score: 87-78
4 starters from New York scored double digits. Ionescu flirted with a triple-double as she finished with 28 points, 9-of-10 from the charity stripe, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals. Stewart had 15 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and a block while Fiebich tallied 15 points, 9 boards, 2 assists, and 3 blocks. Burke scored 10 points.
The Aces had their chances to win the game in a tightly contested 2nd half. Young led her team in scoring with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks, but had 5 turnovers. Dana Evans, despite playing off the bench, contributed 16 points, 2 rebounds, an assist, and a steal. NaLyssa Smith and A’ja Wilson both contributed 11 points each.
New York Liberty stays on top of the East with a record of 13-6, while the LA Aces go to 9-10 as the 5th team in the Western Conference.
The Liberty will face a tough match in the #2 seed in the East, the Atlanta Dream, on July 14, while the Aces are set to face the Mystics on July 11.
