After losing a franchise-record 12 straight games to start the season, the Washington Mystics are finally turning it around. The squad is 6-5 over its last 11 contests, with the last one being a gritty road win against Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever on Wednesday.
While five players scored in double-digits, star guard Ariel Atkins was the standout performer, as per usual. The Texas alum scored 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting with three rebounds, three assists, and three steals, anchoring the squad to an 89-84 victory after building an early lead.
This game could be a blueprint for Washington to follow for the rest of the season. It's no surprise that Atkins was the star that stirred the drink for the Mystics, as she's been a central part of the team's success since getting drafted seventh overall in 2018. The 27-year-old has averaged double-digit points with at least 40% shooting yearly and was a vital part of the team's 2019 championship run.
Back then, though Atkins was a complementary piece amongst a deep team, led by Natasha Cloud, Kristi Tolliver, Elena Delle Donne, and even Emma Meeseman, who won the Finals MVP award coming off the bench. Atkins was only sixth on the Mystics with 7.3 points per game in that year's playoffs.
Nowadays, it's a different picture. The two-time All-Star leads the team in scoring and steals, with 15 points and 1.7 swipes per game.
With this victory, Washington gained ground in the chase for the eighth and final playoff seed. It's now three games behind Indiana for that spot, and two games behind the Atlanta Dream for ninth. With 17 games left, each of these squads still controls their destiny.
Can Atkins lead her team to the playoffs, despite its horrific start?
On-court communication will be key for the Mystics
Two of the main culprits for the team's decline this year, other than injuries, have been turnovers and rebounding. Washington ranks second-worst with 15.4 turnovers per contest, and dead last with 31.8 boards, via ESPN.
Part of this is because the Mystics have been missing key players such as Shakira Austin, Brittney Sykes, and Karlie Samuelson due to various ailments. However, Wednesday's win showed that they can still succeed against a playoff-contending team with players like center Stefanie Dolson and backup guard Julie Vanloo being Atkins' sidekicks.
Atkins sounded off on what caused the good result, via Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post.
“We’re figuring each other out,” Atkins said. “But also I think a big thing [is] … we’re actually listening, too. We can talk, but we’re also listening.”
The more experience this current crop of players gets together, the better their ball security and rebounding will be across the board. When teammates get to know each other better, it leads to a more fluid half-court offense and better box-out positioning for snatching missed buckets.
Additionally, Washington has a top player that's effective on both ends of the floor.
“Just her aggressiveness,” Dolson said on what makes Atkins great. “In general, she’s been doing a really good job of staying consistent. And even when she’s not scoring, she’s still doing that little stuff. But today especially, she did a really good job of finishing the plays, being the first one to a loose ball. In the end, she saved it for us. … And then defensively, she was incredible.”
While the Mystics may not have a headlining star in the vein of Clark or Angel Reese, Atkins is more than capable of leading them deep into the playoffs with a healthy roster. Atkins only scores 1.7 fewer points per game than Clark, for example, with a 1.8% higher field-goal clip.
While Austin and Sykes should be back after the Olympic break, Washington must stay afloat without them to have any realistic shot of salvaging its season. Its next five games will be a gauntlet, as it's facing four consecutive winning teams, including the Minnesota Lynx twice.
Next up is the A'ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces, who the Mystics will host on Sunday. Wilson will be a handful, as she leads the league in points (26.9 per game) and blocks (2.7), while only trailing Reese in rebounds (11.3).
However, the South Carolina alum is unlikely to best Clark's performance against Washington, as the all-time NCAA scoring leader turned in 29 points, 13 assists, five rebounds, five steals, and three blocks on Wednesday.
If supporting players like Vanloo, Dolson, and forward Aaliyah Edwards continue to step up, Washington has a chance. Atkins' effectiveness on both ends will keep it in the game, but the players must continue to “listen” and trust each other, as the veteran explained.
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