Recap: Mystics lose to Dream in overtime, 76-73

Ariel Atkins led with 16 points for Washington and Emily Engstler remained a star shooting force at the right time.

The Washington Mystics lost to the Atlanta Dream on Sunday, 76-73 at home. Because of that, the Mystics’ playoff push hits a speed bump while the Dream’s slim playoff hopes remain alive. That said, the Mystics still have a lottery pick for the 2025 WNBA Draft, though it’s unclear whether it’s their own pick or Atlanta’s.

If the Mystics won today, the Dream would have been mathematically eliminated and Washington would know they would at least have the Dream’s 2025 first round pick for themselves.

Atlanta, which had no incentive to tank the rest of the season, made this game hard for the Mystics. In the first half, Atlanta was firmly in control, taking a 39-32 lead at halftime. The Mystics shot just 38.7 percent from the field while the Dream shot 51.7 percent. Tina Charles led the Dream with 14 of her team0high 20 points while Ariel Atkins led Washington with 11 of her team-high 16 points.

Things turned around in the second half as Washington held the Dream to just 27.3 percent shooting in the third quarter though they weren’t exactly on point themselves. Washington went on to take the lead in a grind-it-out fourth quarter with the Mystics holding onto a late 70-68 lead after an Emily Engstler three point shot with 1:30 left.

However, Naz Hillmon made a game tying bucket to ultimately send this game into overtime.

Engstler led overtime with a three pointer, but the Dream countered with a 6-0 run with only one made field goal by Hillmon. Washington never attempted a free throw in overtime while the Dream attempted four shots and made them all.

The Mystics will continue their final homestand of the regular season on Tuesday when they host the New York Liberty. Tip off is at 7 p.m. ET. See you then.