The Washington Mystics secured their first win of the 2024 season with a dominating 87-68 win over the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday night, thanks in large part to the return of Brittney Sykes. Sykes, playing her first game since May 17, scored 18 points, matching teammate Ariel Atkins' total, and helped the Mystics avoid tying the longest losing streak in franchise history.
The Mystics, who had lost 12 consecutive games, were on the brink of matching the 2012 team's 13-game losing streak. However, their 19-point victory not only broke the losing streak but also marked the third-largest margin of victory to snap a double-digit losing streak in WNBA history.
“The feel is it's been coming,” said coach Eric Thibault, per ESPN News Services. “We've been playing better basketball now for a while. We're obviously shooting well, but I think the quality of the shots we're getting is really good.”
Sykes, who had been sidelined with a high ankle sprain, made an immediate impact in her return to the court, hitting 4-of-6 from 3-point range in just 14 minutes of play. Atkins complemented her effort by making all three of her three-point attempts. The Mystics recorded a season-high 17 three-pointers, just one shy of the WNBA single-game record, with eight different players contributing to the tally.
Brittney Sykes seen after game on crutches
Despite a brief scare in the fourth quarter when Sykes appeared to tweak her injured ankle, Thibault reassured that the team was not overly concerned and would evaluate her further upon returning to Washington, D.C. Sykes did not meet with the media postgame as she was with the team trainer and later seen on crutches as a precautionary measure.
“You see it in the open court,” Thibault said of Sykes' performance. “There's just an aggressiveness to her game that's a great trait to have on our team.”
Washington's hot shooting started early, with seven three-pointers in the first quarter alone, leading to a 25-15 advantage. Although their shooting cooled off in the second quarter, allowing Atlanta to close the gap to 38-33 at halftime, the Mystics regained control in the third quarter. Sykes, Karlie Samuelson and Stefanie Dolson each hit three-pointers in the opening minutes of the third, extending the lead to 49-38. Washington maintained at least a nine-point lead for the remainder of the game. Off the bench, Julie Vanloo also added11 points for the Mystics.
Thibault emphasized the importance of the Mystics' win, quoting, “Winners celebrate and losers explain. So I'm glad I don't have to explain – I'm glad we get to celebrate for at least one night.”
For Atlanta, Rhyne Howard led the scoring with 16 points, followed by Aerial Powers with 13 and Tina Charles with 12 points and nine rebounds. However, Allisha Gray, who averages a team-high 16 points per game, was held to just nine points on 3-of-10 shooting. Despite the loss, Howard achieved a personal milestone, becoming the youngest player in WNBA history to reach 200 career 3-pointers at 24 years and 43 days old.
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