Mystics pick up road win as they get closer to the Olympic break.
The Washington Mystics defeated the Indiana Fever on Wednesday, 89-84 in Indianapolis.
Washington entered the contest with a slew of injuries. Shakira Austin, Brittney Sykes and Karlie Samuelson were out for Wednesday’s contest.
The sides traded defensive stops before Indiana’s Katie Lou Samuelson broke the ice with a layup off the feed from Caitlin Clark. Indiana followed that bucket with a three to take a quick 5-0, but Washington answered with an 10-0 run to recapture momentum.
Washington’s defense was stellar in the first quarter, forcing eight Fever turnovers. Behind a seven-point opening frame from Stefanie Dolson, the Mystics led 26-17.
The early 12 p.m. start wasn’t an issue Eric Thibault’s squad, continuing its dominant play with a 7-0 run to open the second quarter. Washington opened a 15-point lead halfway through the quarter, clicking with terrific ball movement and tough defense.
Ariel Atkins led Washington with 13 points as they led at the half, 51-37.
As expected, Indiana came out with more fight in the third frame. Clark picked up the slack, dropping multiple dimes to bring Indiana within eight.
The game turned when Aliyah Boston scored an and-1, making contact with Dolson’s face in the process. Thibault successfully challenged the call, turning it to an offensive foul on Boston, her fifth.
Indiana would’ve trimmed their deficit to single digits, but instead, Washington ballooned its advantage to 21 entering the final quarter.
The Fever roared back behind a slew of fourth-quarter threes from Clark, cutting their deficit to just three. That run wasn’t enough though as Washington closed out Indiana for a much-needed road victory, its sixth of the season.
Ariel Atkins led the way with 26 points, including some clutch buckets down the stretch. Aaliyah Edwards was a +16 on the day with 12 points and 6 rebounds. Caitlin Clark dropped 29 points and 13 assists.