Mystics Overcome Storm for 69-58 Victory in Washington

WASHINGTON, DC – The Washington Mystics defeated the Seattle Storm 69-58 on Saturday night, thanks to strong performances from Shakira Austin and Sug Sutton. Austin scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Sutton added 13 points in the win.

The Storm struggled early in the third quarter, going five minutes without a basket. They trailed 60-45 entering the final period. However, Seattle responded with an 11-0 run to close the gap to 60-56 with four minutes left on the clock.

Kiki Iriafen halted the Storm’s momentum with a free throw, extending the Mystics’ lead to five. She followed up with a layup, pushing the advantage to 63-56 with just over two minutes remaining. Brittney Sykes then contributed two driving layups, sealing the game for Washington at 67-58.

Despite scoring only nine points in the fourth quarter, the Mystics held Seattle to under 15 points in each of the last three quarters. Nneka Ogwumike led the Storm with 18 points, all scored in the first half. Erica Wheeler supported with 12 points.

Seattle shot 33% from the field and made only five 3-pointers out of 21 attempts while being outrebounded 44-28. Conversely, the Mystics shot 44% and recorded 20 assists on 29 field goals made.

In the first quarter, Ogwumike played a key role as she scored 11 of Seattle’s first 13 points, giving the Storm an early 21-16 lead. A mid-range shot by Ezi Magbegor pushed Seattle ahead 29-21 midway through the second quarter before Sutton’s scoring spree turned the tide for Washington. The Mystics led 40-35 at halftime.

Looking ahead, the Mystics will host the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday, while the Storm are set to face the Connecticut Sun on Monday.