Pre-Review_WNBA: Washington Mystics at Phoenix Mercury
The Phoenix Mercury host the Washington Mystics tonight in a Western–Eastern showdown at Footprint Center. Washington comes in looking to impose its physical frontcourt and ride the momentum of its young core, while Phoenix aims to protect home court behind its revamped lineup featuring recent addition Kelsey Plum alongside scoring dynamo Kahleah Copper and engine Alyssa Thomas.
1st Quarter
Washington wins the opening tip and goes to work in the paint immediately. Georgia Amoore runs a high pick-and-roll with Shakira Austin, who finishes strong inside through contact for the game's opening points.
Phoenix responds quickly from the perimeter. Kelsey Plum orchestrates the offense on her new home floor, curling off an Alyssa Thomas screen to drain a 26-foot three-pointer. On the next possession, Kahleah Copper attacks in transition, drawing a foul and converting a pair from the charity stripe to make it 5-2 Mercury with 7:30 to play.
The Mystics lean on their size advantage to punch back. Kiki Iriafen goes to work on the low block, scoring on consecutive interior possessions before Austin alters a shot at the rim, igniting a fast break that Sonia Citron finishes with a smooth pull-up jumper. Washington takes the lead: Mystics 14, Mercury 10, with 4:40 left in the frame.
Phoenix turns to Thomas to stabilize the floor. Thomas finds Natasha Mack cutting along the baseline for a layup, then drives into the lane herself for a tough runner.
Washington gets solid bench energy as Lauren Betts scores on an offensive rebound putback, but Sami Whitcomb answers before the buzzer with a catch-and-shoot triple from the corner.
End of 1st: Phoenix 23, Washington 21
2nd Quarter
Washington opens the second frame with disciplined ball movement. Lucy Olsen knocks down a rhythm three from the wing, and Amoore follows with a pull-up jumper as the Mystics take a four-point lead.
Washington 30, Phoenix 26 — 7:35
Phoenix calls for calm and leans into its firepower.
Copper takes over, stringing together seven straight points on a pull-up three and a pair of aggressive downhill finishes. Plum keeps the defense on its heels, stepping back for another three-pointer over a contest to push the Mercury on an 10-2 run.
Mercury 36, Mystics 32 — 5:10
Both teams trade blows through a physical second stretch. Iriafen continues to be a handful inside for Washington, scoring off a short turnaround hook and earning trips to the line. Michaela Onyenwere drills a corner three to keep Washington within striking distance.
Phoenix closes the half strong behind Thomas, who grabs a defensive rebound, pushes coast-to-coast, and feeds Mack for a two-handed finish just before the horn.
Halftime: Phoenix 47, Washington 43
3rd Quarter
Phoenix comes out of the break determined to establish control.
Plum immediately hits Copper on an out-of-bounds set for a mid-range jumper, followed by a trademark Thomas steal and assist to Copper for a fast-break layup. Within two minutes, Phoenix opens up a nine-point cushion, 54-45.
Washington refuses to fold.
Citron sparks a counter-attack, knocking down a triple from the wing and converting a three-point play after driving through traffic. Amoore follows with a step-back three, trimming the deficit back to one possession.
Phoenix 58, Washington 56 — 4:40
The game tightens into a defensive battle. Austin and Mack trade blocks at the rim, while Thomas controls the boards for Phoenix and Iriafen battles underneath for Washington.
Maddy Westbeld provides a spark off the Mercury bench with a baseline finish, but Citron ties it up at 66-66 with a tough floater late in the quarter before Plum answers with a jumper.
End of 3rd: Phoenix 68, Washington 66
4th Quarter
The crowd gets loud in Phoenix as both teams battle down the stretch.
Washington strikes first with an interior bucket from Betts, but the Mercury backcourt shifts into high gear. Plum drills a deep three, and Copper follows with a high-arching triple off a kickout pass from Thomas to give Phoenix some breathing room.
Phoenix 76, Washington 70 — 7:45
Washington leans heavily on its frontcourt to stay alive.
Iriafen scores on a power move inside, and Austin follows with a turnaround jumper to bring the Mystics within three at 80-77 with 4:20 remaining.
Phoenix shows its veteran poise in crunch time.
Out of a timeout, Thomas orchestrates the offense with precision, finding Whitcomb on the perimeter for a clutch three-pointer. On the following possession, Thomas drives the lane, draws the defense, and finishes a tough layup through contact.
Washington makes one last push as Amoore sinks a deep three and Citron hits a pair of free throws, cutting the lead to four with under two minutes left.
Phoenix 87, Washington 83 — 1:35
The Mercury close the door. Plum calmly steps into a 15-foot pull-up with the shot clock winding down, and Thomas grabs a critical offensive rebound off a missed free throw to ice the game at the stripe.
Final: Phoenix 94, Washington 86
Summary
The Phoenix Mercury hold off a tenacious Washington Mystics squad behind the combined 45 points of Kahleah Copper and Kelsey Plum, alongside a dominant near triple-double performance from Alyssa Thomas.
Washington pushed Phoenix to the wire behind strong interior play from Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin, but the Mercury’s perimeter shooting and late-game execution proved to be the decisive factor in securing the home victory.
Notable Stats
Phoenix Mercury
Kahleah Copper — 24 points, 5 rebounds, 3 three-pointers
Kelsey Plum — 21 points, 5 assists, 4 three-pointers
Alyssa Thomas — 18 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals
Sami Whitcomb — 10 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds
Natasha Mack — 8 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks
Washington Mystics
Kiki Iriafen — 20 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block
Sonia Citron — 17 points, 5 rebounds, 2 three-pointers
Shakira Austin — 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks
Georgia Amoore — 13 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds
Lauren Betts — 8 points, 5 rebounds
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