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Reuters
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Dream face Mystics again, look to back up 33-point rout
June 19 - Meeting for the second time in a week, the Atlanta Dream will look for similar success against the visiting Washington Mystics on Friday in College Park, Ga. Atlanta (8-4) delivered a crushing 89-56 victory at Washington on Sunday before seeing its three-game winning streak come to an end on Tuesday in an 86-81 road setback against the New York Liberty. The Dream took an eight-point lead into the final quarter against the Eastern Conference-best Liberty before being outscored 26-13 over the last 10 minutes. "I'm proud of the way our team played and executed, especially for the first three quarters," Atlanta coach Karl Smesko said. "Got to give New York credit, they kept coming, they got the momentum, and we weren't able to hold them off. "For us, when you're playing a championship-level team on the road, you're not just trying to hold on, you've got to go at them and win the game. That's going to be a good learning experience for us." Coming off a career-high 32 points in the win against Washington, Allisha Gray was held to 14 in the loss, while reserve Te-Hina PaoPao led the way with a season-high 16 points. Gray leads the team -- and ranks sixth in the WNBA -- with 20.4 points per game, while Atlanta's Rhyne Howard averages 17.3. Washington (5-7) rebounded from its lopsided loss to Atlanta with a 79-72 road win over the Chicago Sky on Tuesday. After trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half, Washington outscored Chicago 47-28 after halftime. Brittney Sykes scored 20 points in the second half and 32 in the game, the most by a Mystics player this season. Washington will aim for consecutive wins for the first time since the first two games of the season, which included a 94-90 victory over Atlanta in the season opener. The Mystics also will look to avenge their worst loss since September 2021, when they lost by 34 points to the Seattle Storm. "There were a few moments here or there when we might not have played as hard as I'd like," Washington coach Sydney Johnson said of the loss on Sunday to Atlanta. "We just couldn't create our own luck and ran into a really good offensive team." Sykes leads the Mystics with 20.5 points per game, followed by rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, who each add 13.3 points. --Field Level Media
Associated Press
a day ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Atlanta hosts Washington after Sykes' 32-point game
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.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mystics rookies Kiki Iriafen, Sonia Citron leaning on each other as they rise to WNBA challenge: 'They belong'
CHICAGO — Before playing together for the Washington Mystics, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen didn't know each other. They only played against each other once in college: Citron, playing for Notre Dame, beat Iriafen's USC Trojans on November 23, 2024, 74-61. Iriafen says she doesn't remember the game, while Citron is happy to remind her who won. But they've put their college rivalries behind them after being selected third (Citron) and fourth (Iriafen) overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Now, they're leaning on each other as they adjust to the league. Advertisement 'Coming in as a rookie, a lottery pick, you're definitely expected to perform. And it can be very daunting, but having somebody by your side that's going through the same thing, makes it a lot easier, because we can talk about what's going on,' Iriafen said. 'And I think Soni and I've done a great job of just being open with each other and just talking about our experiences and our journeys. We're big fans of each other, and I think that's the biggest reason why we're able to have chemistry on the court and just flourish together on the court.' Citron landed in Washington after a standout career at Notre Dame, a school known for producing WNBA-ready guards. Iriafen played three seasons at Stanford before transferring to USC for her senior year. 'I think we're going through similar situations, which is why it's really nice to have somebody like her. We're both rookies, both expected to perform,' Citron said. 'It's been fun just having somebody by your side, like that, that you can just have ups and downs we go through together. The pair has excelled in their first month in the WNBA. Citron has scored at least 10 points in all 12 games so far this season, while Iriafen was named the Rookie of the Month for May, averaging 13.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Advertisement The Mystics are the youngest team in the WNBA, but a big reason why they're boasting the best record among lottery teams is that both Iriafen and Citron came into the league ready to play. (Washington also drafted Kentucky's Georgia Amoore with the No. 6 pick, but she tore her ACL during training camp and will not play this season.) Brittney Sykes, one of the Mystics' most experienced players, spoke effusively about how Iriafen and Citron played during Tuesday's 79-72 win over the Chicago Sky. 'Kiki was in some foul trouble, but that didn't take away from her aggressiveness, and she played smart with fouls. You don't really get to see that with a lot of rookies,' Sykes said after the game. 'Soni came in. Soni does what she does. She's quiet, and then all of a sudden, she hit a pull up, she hit a three. She gets crucial rebounds in the fourth quarter, you know? And she's always in the right spot for a backdoor steal. Like, it amazes me, but that's just credit to them, just trusting and buying into Coach's system and understanding and like, we all have to be a unit.' Though their play has been impressive, making the transition to the WNBA isn't easy, especially so soon after the college season ends. Iriafen and Citron highlighted some of the differences that make the professional ranks a greater challenge. Advertisement 'Obviously, people are stronger and faster, but I've noticed how much smarter the people in the league are, and like in college, you can get away with being more athletic or faster than some," Iriafen said. "But you can't get away with that here, like regardless of if you have an advantage speed-wise, people are so smart and they're able to use little tips and tricks to, you know, bait you into fouls." 'The pace of play is quicker, so the decision making has to be quicker," Citron added. "And I think that's something where it's like, you don't have as much time to just, oh, I can shoot that. You probably have to make decisions quicker or it's gone in like a blink of an eye.' Having rookies who are so eager to learn is a gift for the Mystics' first-year coach, Sydney Johnson, but it also means he needs to keep challenging them. 'We want to continue to put things on their plate,' Johnson said. 'Just like kind of learning, fast growing your knowledge of the league, because I think they've shown talent wise, with God's grace and health, that they belong. But you don't want to stay where you are for too long, you know? I think just increasing your awareness of who you're facing, different styles of play, in-game adjustments. That's the work that we need to do as a coaching staff to help them out.' Advertisement As of Wednesday, the Mystics sit in ninth place in the league, a half-game out of playoff position. The team failed to make the postseason in 2024, making it the first time Washington didn't play in the playoffs since 2012. Citron and Iriafen want to rectify that. But their goals for the season aren't just about records or statistics. As rookies, they know that improvement and growth are key as they look to build on their young careers. 'Just to be a better player at the end of the season than I am right now," Iriafen said, "and just to learn and at the end of the season, be able to say I had a lot of fun and included a lot of joy.'
Fox News
2 days ago
- Sport
- Fox News
Angel Reese swipes Mystics rookie as Sky falls to Washington
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese was caught up in an intense moment on Tuesday night as the team fell to the Washington Mystics, 79-72. Reese finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and was an efficient 7-of-13 from the floor. However, she had a brief dustup with a Mystics player following a Sky player missing a shot. As the players began to run back down the floor, Reese swiped at Mystics rookie Kiki Iriafen with her right hand. Iriafen fell to the floor after the contact. The play continued on, and it did not appear any fouls were given on the play. Iriafen got the last laugh after the incident. Washington was up three points with 35 seconds remaining in the game. As the shot clock wound down, Mystics guard Brittney Sykes missed a shot fading to her left when Iriafen was there to clean up the miss and put the ball in the basket. The Mystics went up by two scores at the point and were able to close out the game for the win. Washington improved to 5-7 with the win and Chicago fell to 3-8. Iriafen notched eight points and six rebounds for the Mystics. Sykes led all scorers with 32 points. Sykes added five assists and three steals to her stat line. Kamilla Cardoso led Sky scorers with 18 points and had 10 rebounds. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Angel Reese Assigns Blame After Chicago Sky's Loss Against Mystics
Angel Reese Assigns Blame After Chicago Sky's Loss Against Mystics originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Sky fell to 3-8 on the season with a 79-72 loss to the Washington Mystics on Tuesday. It was a particularly frustrating loss, as they got out to a large early lead before their offense dried up. Advertisement Star forward Angel Reese did her part by going 7-of-13 from the field and scoring 17 points, to go along with 10 rebounds and five assists. However, she committed seven turnovers, and afterward, she took responsibility for those miscues by saying she needs to do better. Chicago Sky forward Angel ReeseDale Zanine-Imagn Images 'For me, 7 TO's can't happen. I know I'm trying to make good plays, and I'm looking for the right pass…I gotta be better. That's on me." In this game, Chicago outscored the Mystics 26-11 in the first quarter and led by as many as 17 points at one juncture. But after it was ahead 44-32 at halftime, it scored 28 points in the second half, which allowed the Mystics to get off the mat and emerge victorious. Advertisement Turnovers were Chicago's big bugaboo in this contest. It had 25 of them, which led to 40 points off turnovers for the Mystics, who also attempted nine more free throws. Guard Brittney Sykes led the way for Washington with a game-high 32 points on 13-of-24 shooting from the field. The Sky have struggled on the offensive end all season long. They currently rank 12th in both points per game and offensive rating, and their defense hasn't been able to pick up the slack. Tuesday's game was their final game of Commissioner's Cup play. They will host the Phoenix Mercury, who are 8-4, on Saturday. Related: Brittney Griner's Pregame Exchange With Former WNBA Teammate Catches Attention This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
