WASHINGTON — It took the Washington Mystics 2,547 days to bring playoff basketball back to CareFirst Arena. And it was all gone in a flash.
The Mystics stayed close for three quarters. But a fourth-quarter implosion led to their demise, as they fell to Atlanta, 93-75.
“Immensely disappointed with the result. Want to congratulate Atlanta for getting through the first round. They deserve credit for what they did,” Mystics coach Sidney Johnson said. “And I just challenge our players to appreciate that this is going to sting. It’s going to hurt … But I also think what this group has accomplished and how the D.C. community has rallied around this group. They’ve written history.”
Atlanta carried momentum from Sunday’s win into the opening frame, jumping out to a quick 12-4 lead behind knockdown shooting. Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray and Jordin Canada drilled triples to briefly quiet the crowd.
Then Washington’s bigs got active. Kiki Iriafen sank a mid-range jumper before grabbing an offensive rebound and putting it home. Shakira Austin followed by drawing a foul and sinking both free throws to bring her squad within four points.
Atlanta quickly extended its lead back to nine. Washington needed a spark in the worst way.
Enter Cass Prosper, who started a 7-0 run with lockdown defense and closed it with a wing 3-ball to bring CareFirst alive. The Mystics trailed 24-17 after the first quarter.
“We were looking at some things in terms of how Cass has performed, especially against some of the dynamic guards in our league, and she’s really made them work, made it difficult,” Johnson said. “And then offensive rebounding is a big part of what we do. And then her guts, knocking down some threes and confidently attacking the rim. Just had a hunch that maybe she could help us, and I thought she did.”
Atlanta’s ball pressure rattled Washington to open the second quarter. The Mystics scored just two points in the first five minutes of the frame, which allowed the Dream to extend its lead to double digits.
The Dream jumped to a 41-28 lead entering the final two minutes. Fans sat silent, just hoping for a run to close the half.
And again, it was Prosper who delivered the spark. Her triple, sandwiched by an Iriafen layup and a Sonia Citron jumper, brought Washington’s deficit to just six entering halftime.
“They never, ever quit,“ Johnson said. ”I never have to worry about whether they’re going to keep playing … It’s just an amazing group of women who just fight. They’re strong, they’re good, they’re connected, but it’s that toughness that really keeps showing up every single time we’re taking the court.“
Washington stuck around in the third quarter. But any time they flirted with making it a game, Atlanta answered.
Howard’s and-1 layup gave the Dream its largest advantage of the night, a 63-48 lead, with 2:43 remaining in the third. Washington’s season hung in the balance.
Citron, who finished with a game-high 25 points, drilled a three to settle things down. Michaela Onyenwere spun to the cup for an and-1 that cut the deficit to nine. Then Citron drew an offensive foul on Howard before Onyenwere made an open layup
Momentum had quickly shifted Washington’s way. And it was greatly needed. The Mystics entered the fourth with renewed energy, trailing by just seven points.
The Mystics got within three, the closest they’d been since the first quarter, but Atlanta again responded — its biggest blow of the night. It turned out to be the dagger.
Canada closed the door with seven straight points to cap her 17-point outing. Washington’s season, one that set several franchise records, came to a close Wednesday night.
“It’s been incredible. As disappointing as it is that we lost tonight, I think when you look at the season as a whole, I get emotional,” Citron said. “We have such an incredible group of girls, and Coach was talking about it in the locker room, but we have something special here. Every day we come in, we love each other. We have fun. We never lose our joy, and I think that’s just super special. I don’t think that’s everywhere. So I’m just grateful.”
