logo
Atlanta hosts Washington after Sykes' 32-point game

Atlanta hosts Washington after Sykes' 32-point game

Fox Sports2 days ago

Associated Press
Washington Mystics (5-7, 5-4 Eastern Conference) at Atlanta Dream (8-4, 5-4 Eastern Conference)
College Park, Georgia; Friday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Washington Mystics takes on the Atlanta Dream after Brittney Sykes scored 32 points in the Mystics' 79-72 win against the Chicago Sky.
The Dream are 5-4 against Eastern Conference opponents. Atlanta is 3- when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 12.1 turnovers per game.
The Mystics' record in Eastern Conference action is 5-4. Washington ranks third in the WNBA with 27.6 defensive rebounds per game led by Kiki Iriafen averaging 6.1.
Atlanta averages 10.3 made 3-pointers per game, 1.5 more made shots than the 8.8 per game Washington allows. Washington averages 5.6 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.1 fewer makes per game than Atlanta allows.
The two teams play for the third time this season. The Dream defeated the Mystics 89-56 in their last matchup on June 15. Allisha Gray led the Dream with 32 points, and Sonia Citron led the Mystics with 10 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Gray is averaging 20.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Dream. Rhyne Howard is averaging 17.6 points over the last 10 games.
Sykes is averaging 20.5 points and 4.5 assists for the Mystics. Iriafen is averaging 12.9 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Dream: 7-3, averaging 83.1 points, 38.2 rebounds, 20.9 assists, 6.0 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 43.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 73.4 points per game.
Mystics: 3-7, averaging 74.7 points, 37.8 rebounds, 17.5 assists, 6.0 steals and 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 41.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 78.0 points.
INJURIES: Dream: None listed.
Mystics: Georgia Amoore: out for season (acl).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
recommended

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

‘I feel like I'm home': Brad Marchand serves Panthers fans Dairy Queen after Cup win
‘I feel like I'm home': Brad Marchand serves Panthers fans Dairy Queen after Cup win

Miami Herald

timean hour ago

  • Miami Herald

‘I feel like I'm home': Brad Marchand serves Panthers fans Dairy Queen after Cup win

Brad Marchand, barely 60 hours after winning the Stanley Cup for the second time in his 16-season NHL career, emerged from the kitchen of the Dairy Queen in Sunrise late Friday morning with a tray full of chocolate chip cookie dough Blizzards. 'Best day of my life,' Marchand said. Marchand credits the dessert chain for a lot of the Florida Panthers' postseason success after he and several teammates made a post-dinner trek there during the Eastern Conference final and began winning. So it was only natural that one of his post-Cup meet-and-greets with fans would be at a DQ, where hundreds of fans lined up on short notice to meet the veteran forward and get free ice cream hand delivered by him. For the day, at that location, the chocolate chip cookie dough Blizzard was called the 'Brad Blizzard' and instead of chocolate chips, it contained 'chocolate chirps.' 'It's been incredible the last couple days, but I think this tops it all off,' said Marchand, his voice hoarse from all the celebrating with his teammates since clinching the championship Tuesday night with a 5-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. 'It legit brings me back to my childhood, and it's been an incredible few days. So much love down here in Florida. There's always been a lot of talk about it not being a hockey city, but it's pretty evident that there's so much love down here for the game of hockey, and it's pretty incredible to be part of it.' It's something Marchand never expected would happen. Up until the Boston Bruins traded him to the Panthers in March for what became a first-round draft pick, he was a villain of sorts in South Florida. He was on the opposite end of a pair of bitter playoff series in 2023 and 2024, both of which Florida won. But since he got to Florida, he was accepted with open arms and was a major reason the Panthers repeated. He scored 10 goals, including six in the Cup Final series alone, and had 20 points throughout the postseason. 'It's been special,' Marchand said. 'From a fan base that was not very fond of me and I wasn't very fond of them, it's done a full 180. They completely embraced me and allowed me to be part of this team in the city and very appreciative for it.' His time in Florida might be up soon, though. He's slated to become a free agent on July 1. But by the way he talked on Friday and the way he has talked over his brief tenure here, Marchand doesn't sound like a guy who wants to leave any time soon. 'I feel like I'm home,' Marchand said as he was talking with fans. 'I am home, aren't I?' His message to Panthers president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito: 'Give me a contract!' If he does stay, there's a request to put a Dairy Queen in Amerant Bank Arena, as well. How the Dairy Queen tradition started It all began when a half dozen Panthers players — Marchand, fellow forwards Carter Verhaeghe and Eetu Luostarinen\ and defensemen Niko Mikkola, Uvis Balinskis and Jaycob Megna — going on a Dairy Queen run between Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference final in Raleigh. A photo of a fan meeting the group went viral. 'We were just going for a walk,' Marchand said. 'We wanted to walk off our dinner. We got up Dairy Queen for dessert, and it became this huge organic moment throughout the playoffs.' The Panthers won that game against Carolina 5-2. They made four more trips throughout the playoffs — ahead of Game 5 against the Hurricanes as well as Games 2, 5 and 6 in the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers, with the size of the group increasing during the Cup Final. Florida went 5-0 in the games following Dairy Queen runs. The Panthers even made a T-shirt commemorating the DQ runs, depicting the original six from the first trip eating ice cream in their home red sweaters around a Stanley C. Panther-themed ice cream truck. Did Marchand also eat a Blizzard during a game? During Game 3 of the conference final against the Hurricanes, a Sportsnet camera caught Marchand eating something off a spoon during the second intermission. When asked postgame about his midgame treat and if it happened to be a Blizzard, Marchand smiled. 'You can't beat it,' Marchand said. 'It's the best dessert in the world.' Except... it's not what he was eating prior to the Panthers finishing off the eventual 6-2 win, one in which Florida scored five goals in the final frame. So what was on the spoon that cameras caught him with? 'Honey,' Marchand said. As for talking about Dairy Queen? 'I was kind of making a joke,' Marchand said. 'I think people took it seriously. The amount of messages I got about people going to Dairy Queen yesterday — I appreciate the support. I love a good Blizzard more than anybody, but it's not something I've had in the middle of a game ... yet.' As for the honey? There's a story behind that, too. 'I've always loved honey,' Marchand said. 'Actually, when I was growing up, I loved Winnie the Pooh. So I used to have a Winnie the Pooh bear and I would feed him honey. It was covered — covered — and rock hard. I've always enjoyed it.' Marchand living up Stanley Cup celebrations Marchand certainly has enjoyed himself the past few days as the Panthers celebrate their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship — and he enjoys the second of his career and first since 2011. He was one of the lives of the part at both the Elbo Room on Wednesday and at E11even on Thursday night. Prior to the trip to the Miami nightclub on Thursday, Marchand and the team dined at Maple & Ash. While there, Marchand uploaded 20 photos to his Instagram story thanking the various former teams of his current teammates, plus the former clubs of coach Paul Maurice and Zito, for allowing the Panthers team in its current form to come together. Teammates followed suit by thanking Boston for sending Marchand to Florida. 'We all have our own story ... but we all got here,' Marchand said. 'It all played a part in this team winning the Cup.'

Carolina Hurricanes re-sign Eric Robinson for 4 years after his most productive NHL season
Carolina Hurricanes re-sign Eric Robinson for 4 years after his most productive NHL season

San Francisco Chronicle​

time2 hours ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Carolina Hurricanes re-sign Eric Robinson for 4 years after his most productive NHL season

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Hurricanes have re-signed depth forward Eric Robinson to a four-year contract worth $6.8 million. General manager Eric Tulsky announced the extension Friday. Robinson will count $1.7 million against the salary cap through the 2028-29 NHL season. The Bellmawr, New Jersey, native set career highs with 14 goals, 18 assists and 32 points this past season after joining the Hurricanes as a free agent. Robinson had three points in 15 games on their run to the Eastern Conference final, which ended with a series loss to the eventual Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers. 'It's no surprise to us that Eric had his best professional season last year with Carolina,' Tulsky said. 'His size and speed make him an excellent fit for the way we want to play." Carolina has made the playoffs seven consecutive years since Rod Brind'Amour took over as coach. Robinson's only previous playoff experience in the league came in the 2020 bubble with Columbus. Robinson, 30, has played 413 NHL regular-season and playoff games with the Blue Jackets, Buffalo Sabres and Hurricanes since debuting in 2018.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store