After opening the year with 12 straight losses -- the fourth-worst start in WNBA history -- the Washington Mystics won their second straight game against the Chicago Sky on Friday, 83-81.
Washington set the tone from the jump, leading 9-0 in the opening minutes and holding a 23-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. Rookie forward Aaliyah Edwards led the Mystics with 10 points and six rebounds in the opening period. Chicago went on an 11-1 run in the second quarter to cut the deficit to eight, but the Mystics went into halftime with a 47-36 lead.
Washington maintained its lead despite several comeback attempts by Chicago. At one point, the Sky went on a 10-0 run to get within five with three minutes left. Guard Lindsay Allen got Chicago within two, 83-81, with 51 seconds to play.
Following a missed 3 for the win by Allen, Kamilla Cardoso collected the offensive rebound and found Sky guard Marina Mabrey, who drew a foul and had a chance to tie the game with 0.2 seconds left. She missed both free throws, and Washington escaped with its second straight win of the season.
ARIEL ATKINS!!!
— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) June 15, 2024
Energy Moment of the Game | @DCElec_Alliance pic.twitter.com/cKtjzTxFfe
Here are some key takeaways from the Mystics' nail-biting win:
Three Mystics in double figures, led by Atkins' season-high
Mystics guard Ariel Atkins led the way with a season-high 29 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field and 2 of 5 from three-point land. Elsewhere, Aaliyah Edwards scored 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting and pulled down nine rebounds.
Washington's rise began with the return of guard Brittney Sykes from injury on Wednesday. Though she missed tonight's game with a left foot sprain, the rest of the Mystics' starters stepped up in key moments, and their efforts will be pivotal as they try to shake off the rough opening to their season.
Angel Reese continues historic start
Chicago rookie Angel Reese recorded 10 points and 14 rebounds, becoming the fourth rookie in league history to record five straight double-doubles. This came days after she became the first rookie from this year's class to accumulate 100 points and 100 rebounds.
Reese has remained consistent when it comes to getting buckets and boards, and has been one of Chicago's bright spots despite a rollercoaster start to its season. She has now hit double figures in nine of her first eleven games, making her recent double-double streak all the more impressive.
Five Chicago players in foul trouble
Despite solid performances, both Reese and Kamilla Cardoso picked up four fouls apiece, and they were among five players who put Chicago in jeopardy. Both teams committed 25 personal fouls each, but Chicago's key pieces -- Reese (4), Cardoso (4), Marina Mabrey (5), Chennedy Chandler (5), and Michaela Onyenwere (5) -- were in danger of fouling out, and ruined any momentum the Storm used to come back. Defending without fouling will be crucial for Chicago as it looks to trend in the right direction.
Up next
The Sky will face Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in a highly anticipated matchup on Sunday at noon ET on CBS.
Both teams last met on June 1st, when Indiana escaped with a 71-70 win. Clark supplied 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting, as well as eight rebounds, six assists and one steal. Reese tallied eight points on 2 of 9 from the floor and pulled down 13 rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Mystics will look to make it three wins in a row when they take on Clark and the Fever on Wednesday.
