Washington also falls to 0-1 in Commissioner’s Cup play.
The Washington Mystics came into Indianapolis hoping to keep their recent momentum alive, but a cold stretch from beyond the arc and third-quarter struggles proved costly in an 85–76 loss to the Indiana Fever on Tuesday night.
Sykes and Iriafen each scored 20 points, with Iriafen also grabbing nine rebounds. Sonia Citron added 13 points and seven rebounds, while Shakira Austin contributed 10 points off the bench. However, the Mystics struggled from beyond the arc, making just 1 of 10 three-point attempts.
The game turned in the third quarter. Tied at halftime, Indiana blitzed Washington with a 31–21 run behind Lexie Hull’s energy off the bench and Kelsey Mitchell’s perimeter shooting. Mitchell led Indiana’s scorers with 24 points. The Mystics clawed back to within two early in the fourth, but missed opportunities and timely Indiana shot-making prevented them from closing the gap.
Despite the loss, there were encouraging signs. Washington won the rebounding battle 33–19 and kept the turnovers manageable. But their inability to convert from deep and failure to contain Mitchell (24 points) down the stretch kept the win just out of reach.
Notably, Indiana was without Caitlin Clark (left quad strain), but saw strong contributions from Hull and newcomer Aari McDonald in her debut. For Mystics fans, it’s a tough loss considering the Fever’s undermanned status, but the shooting numbers and ball movement remain bright spots.
Washington falls to 3–5 overall and 0–1 in Commissioner’s Cup standings. They’ll look to bounce back with a home game against the New York Liberty on Thursday. We will see if they can get back in the win column or this slump turns into an extended slide.