If the standings hold, the Mystics will face the Liberty in the first round of the playoffs.
If the current WNBA standings hold, the Washington Mystics will make the 2024 WNBA playoffs. You read that right.
The Mystics are 13-13 since an 0-12 start with two games left to play. As of the morning of Sep. 16, Washington controls the 8th seed by virtue of a three-way tiebreaker with the Atlanta Dream and Chicago Sky. All three teams are 13-25, a full five games back of the 7th-seeded Phoenix Mercury. The Dream and Sky still play each other once, virtually narrowing the playoff race down to the Mystics versus the winner of that game.
Game Info
When: Tuesday, September 17 at 7:00 EST
Where: Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, DC
How to watch: NBA TV
Injuries
Mystics: Aaliyah Edwards*—OUT (ankle); Shakira Austin—OUT (ankle)
Liberty: None
*Note: Aaliyah Edwards was ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Dream, and her status has not been updated to reflect Tuesday’s game.
Pregame notes
- The Liberty have been the best team in the WNBA all season long and will clinch the first seed in the league with their next win.
- Washington should have been rooting for the Liberty on Sunday — had New York defeated the Minnesota Lynx, they would have clinched the top seed in the WNBA, and the Mystics likely would have been gifted a game against the Liberty’s backups to dramatically improve their shot at the playoffs. As it stands, Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and company will be playing for a win.
- Let me reiterate the first point I made in this preview: the Washington Mystics control their own destiny in a push for the WNBA playoffs.