By Tiffany Williams –
The Washington Mystics continued their challenging three-game road trip along the West Coast on Friday night, facing off against the Las Vegas Aces at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Despite a strong effort, the Mystics ultimately fell short, losing the game 75-72.
Sonia Citron was the standout performer for the Mystics, leading the team in scoring with an impressive 19 points. She was efficient on the night, shooting 5 for 11 from the field, including a remarkable 4 for 6 from beyond the arc, and was perfect at the free-throw line, going 3 for 3. In addition to her scoring, Citron contributed significantly on the boards with five defensive rebounds and facilitated the offense with three assists.
KiKi Iriafen also had a noteworthy performance, adding 17 points to the Mystics’ tally. She showed her versatility by shooting 6 for 14 from the field and making 5 of 6 free throws. Iriafen was also active on the glass, collecting four offensive rebounds and nine defensive rebounds, along with contributing two assists, showcasing her all-around game.
Jade Melbourne chipped in 14 points for the Mystics, shooting 4 for 11 from the field. She connected on 2 of 5 three-point attempts and made good on 4 of 6 free-throw opportunities. Melbourne rounded out her game with three defensive rebounds, contributing one assist and one steal.
Sug Sutton played a significant role for the Mystics, logging 33 minutes on the court and scoring ten points. She struggled with her shooting, going 3 for 9 from the field and hitting 2 of 5 three-point shots, while being a perfect 2 for 2 at the free-throw line. Sutton also recorded two defensive rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block, reflecting her contributions on both ends of the floor.
Stefanie Dolson added depth to the Mystics’ roster with eight points over 29 minutes of play. She was effective in her shooting, making 3 of 7 field goals and 2 of 3 from three-point range. Dolson’s impact was felt with five defensive rebounds, one offensive rebound, eight assists, and two blocks, showcasing her ability to facilitate and protect the rim.
Throughout the game, the Mystics generated eight points off turnovers, six points from second-chance opportunities, and 24 points in the paint. The bench, while contributing four points, struggled to find rhythm, and the team recorded zero fast break points. On the shooting front, the Mystics were 10 for 23 from three-point range, hitting 14 of 17 free-throws, and finishing with 14 out of 40 attempts from two-point range, resulting in a total of 24 makes on 60 field goal attempts. The team managed six offensive rebounds, 30 defensive rebounds, 18 assists, two steals, and three blocks, while committing 15 turnovers from players and two team turnovers.
On the opposing side, Jackie Young led the charge for the Las Vegas Aces with a strong performance, scoring 25 points. She demonstrated efficiency, going 7 for 15 from the field, adding 2 of 6 three-pointers, and converting 9 of 10 free throws. Young’s contributions included one offensive rebound, four defensive rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block, underlining her impact on both ends.
A’ja Wilson played a critical role for the Aces as well, logging 38 minutes and finishing the game with 15 points. She shot 5 of 13 from the field, connected on 1 of 3 three-point attempts, and was flawless at the free-throw line, converting all four opportunities. Wilson added two offensive rebounds and ten defensive rebounds, proving her presence in the paint, while also dishing out five assists, recording two steals, and registering three blocks.
Chelsea Gray supported the Aces with 17 points, shooting 7 of 17 from the field and converting 1 of 1 from the free-throw line, though she struggled with her three-point shooting, making only 2 of 8 attempts. Gray’s contributions included four defensive rebounds, two assists, and one steal, reinforcing her role as a key playmaker.
Jewell Loyd contributed nine points over 29 minutes, struggling from the field with a 2 for 9 shooting line and making only 2 of 7 three-pointers. However, she was efficient from the free-throw line, going 3 for 3, and added one offensive rebound, two defensive rebounds, two assists, and two steals to her performance. Kiah Stokes, who played just 19 minutes, managed to gather two offensive rebounds, three defensive rebounds, along with one assist and one block.
The Aces managed to score nine points off the bench, had 24 points in the paint, and generated 14 second-chance points, along with 10 fast break points. They displayed a solid shooting performance, connecting on 24 of 69 field goal attempts and shooting 19 for 20 from the free-throw line. Their shooting breakdown included 16 of 36 from two-point range and eight of 33 from three-point range. Defensively, the Aces totaled seven offensive rebounds, 25 defensive rebounds, and recorded 15 assists, six blocks, and nine steals, limiting their turnovers to eight by players with two team turnovers.
Just an hour before the opening tip-off, Washington announced that Brittney Sykes would not play due to a leg injury. Sykes had recently put together a stellar performance with a 30-point game against Golden State and was averaging an impressive 26.3 points and 5.0 assists per game.
In the game, the Mystics dominated the scoreboard for most of the entire first half, at one point expanding their lead to ten points. The team went into halftime with a comfortable 42-33 advantage after Iriafen hit a mid-range jumper with just 0.5 seconds remaining in the half.
The Mystics continued their momentum by holding the Aces scoreless for the first 3 minutes and 22 seconds of the third quarter, eventually establishing a 54-42 lead after Melbourne sank a crucial three-pointer at the 3:47 mark. Heading into the fourth quarter, Washington maintained a 59-50 lead, setting the stage for a competitive final period.
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