The Washington Mystics ran out of magic late in Sunday’s 98-93 overtime loss to the New York Liberty, spoiling Washington’s highly anticipated home opener.
The back-and-forth slugfest saw 11 lead changes, eight ties and countless cheers from fans who watched with bated breath as the upstart Mystics kept up with one of the WNBA’s perennial contenders.
“We got beat today, but we didn’t get bullied,” said Mystics coach Sydney Johnson, who has focused on player development during discussions with reporters. “It’s togetherness. That’s got to be the way we go here in D.C. That’s who we are.”
The promising performance wasn’t enough to topple a New York powerhouse.
Liberty forward Breanna Stewart led the charge for New York, stuffing the stat sheet with 23 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and a pair of steals.
The Mystics opened the game with a strong first quarter, using a 14-2 run to open up a 31-24 advantage at the end of the opening frame.
The lead wouldn’t last. The Liberty stormed back, and the Mystics’ young squad couldn’t keep up. New York outscored Washington 31-17 in the second quarter to regain the advantage headed into the second half.
Second-year forward Kiki Iriafen led the Mystics’ ill-fated comeback attempt with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
Mystics rookie Lauren Betts, the No. 4 pick in last month’s WNBA draft, scored her first points on Sunday to the delight of Washington’s fans. The UCLA product finished with seven points and two rebounds off the bench.
After playing from behind for most of the second and third quarters, Washington regained the lead with eight minutes remaining in the fourth. A smooth spin and a lay-up by Cassandre Prosper gave Washington a 73-72 advantage.
“With this team, we never think that we’re out of the game. Even if we’re down 15, we still believe that there’s a chance,” Iriafen said.
It didn’t last. The two squads, as they did early in the first half, traded the lead back and forth over the final quarter, sending the hometown crowd into a growing frenzy with each bucket.
Stewart scored a go-ahead bucket for the Liberty with 38 seconds left, but the Mystics weren’t going away quietly. Iriafen tied the game at 85 with a bucket of her own 23 seconds later.
Stewart’s buzzer-beating attempt at a game-winner missed the mark and sent the game to overtime.
“We went to overtime, and we were like, ‘We have a chance to win this game.’ We have a lot of confidence in our ability to come back,” Iriafen said. “I just think we never give up.”
New York sprinted to a 92-86 lead early in overtime before Washington stormed back. The Mystics used a 6-0 run late in the frame to tie the game at 92 with less than a minute remaining.
The Liberty regained the lead with 30 seconds left after Betnijah Laney-Hamilton drained a pair of free throws. The Mystics ran out of magic when Citron turned the ball over on the following possession, dooming Washington in the tight matchup.
“I’m going to have them run suicides for the next 30 minutes,” Johnson joked when asked about his reaction to the game-ending turnover.
He isn’t that kind of disciplinarian. The 52-year-old openly confessed to feeling drained following an emotional loss that saw the coach living and dying with every basket.
Johnson doesn’t need to drill discipline into his players with too much intensity anyway. Players like Citron and Iriafen are already spotlighting how they can improve as players and leaders just two games into their second season.
“It’s far from perfect. We’re learning,” Citron said. “We’re growing into ourselves.”
The Mystics fell to 1-1 with the loss. They return to the court on Friday with an away game against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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