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September 6, 2025\u00a0
By Jenn Hatfield<\/a>
Alysha Clark: \u2018We need to win, but it surely’s the way you lose\u2019<\/em>
WASHINGTON \u2014 Early within the fourth quarter of Thursday\u2019s recreation towards the Phoenix Mercury, an errant Phoenix 3-pointer led to a scramble for the rebound. Six gamers touched or leaped for the ball because it bounced round, however finally Washington Mystics ahead Emily Engstler<\/a> obtained on the ground and wrested away possession. The Mystics turned that into a layup<\/a> for ahead Alysha Clark<\/a>, which minimize their deficit to 4 factors.
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Engstler\u2019s rebound and Clark\u2019s end had been the kind of performs that helped the Mystics do one thing head coach Sydney Johnson has needed all through the season: Make it a one- or two-possession recreation within the fourth quarter, in order that they have an opportunity to shut out the sport late.
The Mystics would make it a one-possession recreation with 76 seconds left on a layup by rookie ahead Kiki Iriafen<\/a>. However they missed 4 pictures within the ultimate 36 seconds to fall 75-69.
The loss was the Mystics\u2019 eighth straight, dropping them to 16-26 this season. Earlier than this stretch, they hadn\u2019t misplaced greater than 4 in a row all season, regardless of being by far the WNBA\u2019s youngest team<\/a> till the commerce deadline. In actual fact, they had been hovering close to .500 for many of the 12 months and had been a surprise contender for a playoff spot<\/a> till an Aug. 30 loss to the Golden State Valkyries \u2014 the sixth of their skid \u2014 eradicated them.
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In some video games throughout the dropping streak, the Mystics simply couldn\u2019t shut fairly nicely sufficient. Three of the eight video games had been determined by 6 factors or fewer.
In different video games, the Mystics didn\u2019t play like themselves for lengthy stretches. For instance, they misplaced two video games by double digits to the Connecticut Solar, who had been in final place on the time, to start the streak.
\u201cWe now have to come back in every single day and do the identical factor again and again and [stay] according to it,\u201d level guard Sug Sutton<\/a> advised The Subsequent earlier than Thursday\u2019s recreation. \u201cI feel we form of fell from that \u2026 all through the season. Some days we weren’t ourselves.\u201d
Although the final eight video games have all been losses, the variations in how these video games have felt have loomed giant for the rebuilding Mystics. That\u2019s as a result of they\u2019ve evaluated themselves all season not on outcomes, however on the each day habits which can be central to Johnson\u2019s tradition. These habits embrace enjoying exhausting, getting higher, speaking, being humble and discovering pleasure.
\u201cThere have been a pair video games by way of this stretch that we didn’t like how [they] felt,\u201d Clark advised reporters after Thursday\u2019s loss. \u201cAnd even tonight, it’s exhausting. We’re professionals. We need to win, but it surely’s the way you lose. I can stroll away from this saying I gave every little thing, that my group gave every little thing.\u201d
Together with the Connecticut video games, the Mystics appeared to lose their approach in a 26-point loss to the New York Liberty on Aug. 28 and the 37-point loss to the Valkyries two days later. The Liberty shot 50.0% total and 47.6% from 3-point vary, getting 24 factors off the Mystics\u2019 turnovers. Equally, the Valkyries shot 55.0% total and 38.7% from deep whereas scoring 19 factors off turnovers.
\u201cWe’d bend, however we are able to’t break,\u201d Johnson advised reporters on Aug. 31. \u201cWe’ve had, specifically, two actually powerful outings. \u2026 I assumed [in] New York \u2026 we got here near breaking. I simply didn’t really feel like we had been very linked.\u201d
The Mystics performed significantly better in a 3-point loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 31, holding the Sparks to 40.0% taking pictures from the sphere and 27.8% from deep. That prompted Johnson to say he was \u201celated to see the group that I acknowledge.\u201d
The Mystics confirmed up nicely once more on Thursday towards the Mercury, who entered the day tied for third within the WNBA with a 26-14 file.
\u201cI simply beloved how we competed,\u201d Johnson mentioned postgame. \u201cDropping shouldn’t be what we need to do. \u2026 [But] we fought, and that’s form of been who we’ve been for like 90% of our video games. So simply tremendous happy with that.\u201d
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Because the commerce deadline, and particularly because the Mystics had been eradicated from the playoffs, the Mystics have experimented more with lineups and schemes<\/a>. For instance, they\u2019ve had All-Star rookie<\/a> Sonia Citron<\/a> provoke the offense extra, to get the ball in her fingers sooner and extra simply.
\u201cSonia has a tremendous really feel for the sport the place she’s going to make the fitting play,\u201d participant growth lead Clinton Crouch advised The Subsequent on Saturday. \u201cAnd for gamers that make the fitting play, you need to discover methods to place the ball into their fingers to make the sport simpler for everybody else. So \u2026 now she will get to see the sport from a unique lens, a unique angle, and \u2026 I feel it’s going to be actually good for her profession long-term.\u201d
The Mystics have additionally performed zone protection on 10.9% of opponents\u2019 halfcourt possessions of their final 11 video games. That\u2019s up from 2.6% within the earlier 31 video games, based on Synergy Sports<\/a>.
\u201cWe need to be disruptive defensively,\u201d Johnson mentioned earlier than Thursday\u2019s recreation. \u201c[We] haven’t been ready to try this for varied causes, a few of it being what comes after that if we don’t disrupt. We haven’t actually reacted nicely defensively. And so a part of a zone, frankly, is discovering a solution to simply break rhythm. \u2026 That’s the place that comes from is defensively actually not simply at all times making an attempt to protect individuals’s playbook, however disrupt it.\u201d
On Thursday, the Mystics performed zone on 11 of the Mercury\u2019s 71 halfcourt possessions, or 15.5% of the time. Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbetts advised reporters postgame that it was probably the most zone his group had seen all 12 months. And although the Mercury made 13 3-pointers, he acknowledged that the zone \u201csimply form of slowed us down slightly bit.\u201d
\u201cYou would see it typically,\u201d Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb<\/a> added. \u201cClearly, the ball will get stagnant a bit, in all probability doesn’t transfer as a lot as we wish it to. And I feel typically you fall into taking pictures threes. \u2026 Numerous them had been nice appears to be like, however I feel typically you accept these.\u201d
The Mystics weren\u2019t anticipated to make the playoffs this season, and they\u2019ve focused on growth and development<\/a> all 12 months as they rebuild beneath Johnson and first-year common supervisor Jamila Wideman<\/a>. However being eradicated from the playoffs nonetheless stung.
\u201cAll people’s upset about it, from coaches [to] gamers,\u201d Sutton mentioned on Thursday.
Responding to being eradicated and persevering with to battle can also be a brand new problem for the Mystics and their tradition.
\u201cWe understand that we’re out of playoff competition,\u201d Johnson mentioned. \u201cAnd so for us, it’s actually zeroing in on ensuring that our focus doesn’t wane when it comes to how we need to go about it. It’s very simple to only form of [think], \u2018Oh, what are we enjoying for?\u2019 And I feel that’s an actual take a look at for us when it comes to ensuring now we have professional habits. \u2026 Whether or not it’s apply, whether or not it’s your rehab, your ability growth, all of it wants to remain the identical.\u201d
To this point, a number of gamers and coaches say that issues have stayed the identical and that they\u2019re competing simply as exhausting every single day \u2014 motivated partly by eager to snap the dropping streak.
\u201cI simply need to win,\u201d Citron advised The Subsequent earlier than Thursday\u2019s recreation.
\u201cI really like the sport. I’m enjoying for this group,\u201d Sutton added. \u201cI’m enjoying for us to get higher. I’m enjoying to get higher individually as some extent guard, and no matter occurs, I’m simply making an attempt to do that for our group and making an attempt to proceed to drag us collectively.\u201d
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Howard Megdal’s latest e book is right here! “Turning into Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Fashionable Basketball Celebrity” captures each the historic nature of Clark’s rise and the important context over the earlier century that helped make it doable, together with interviews with Clark, Lisa Bluder (who additionally wrote the foreword), C. Vivian Stringer, Jan Jensen, Molly Kazmer and plenty of others.
The management of the Mystics\u2019 two veterans, Clark and middle Stefanie Dolson<\/a>, has been essential for shifting previous the frustration and discovering function in the remainder of the season. Each gamers have emphasised taking a look at how the Mystics are enjoying, not simply what the scoreboard says. They\u2019ve additionally talked about how a lot these video games matter for the group\u2019s progress and future success.
\u201cWhat you do that 12 months, you’re planting the seeds for 2, three years down the road,\u201d Clark mentioned. \u201cIn order that approach, when \u2026 they’re sitting right here two years from now and also you’re speaking to them about going to the Finals or no matter, they’re going to have the ability to look again at this season and be like, \u2018We planted good seeds. We planted tradition seeds.\u2019\u201d
A kind of seeds is full accountability, which Clark mentioned is one thing the three championship groups she has been on have had in widespread. On these groups \u2014 the 2018 and 2020 Seattle Storm and 2023 Las Vegas Aces \u2014 any participant might maintain a teammate accountable and there can be a optimistic response.
\u201cWhen you’ll be able to have that degree of accountability from one by way of 12, it makes an enormous distinction,\u201d Clark mentioned. \u201c\u2026 So with the ability to form of simply remind [the Mystics players] of that, I feel, has been fairly cool.\u201d
The Mystics have two video games left, towards the Indiana Fever on Sunday and towards the Liberty on Tuesday. Dropping these video games might give them better odds at the top pick<\/a> within the 2026 WNBA Draft. Profitable would preserve them from ending the season on a 10-game dropping streak. However whatever the end result, how they play in these final two video games will matter most, as each possession left is an opportunity to study for the long run.
\u201cIt’s powerful. Dropping sucks for everyone,\u201d Iriafen advised reporters on Aug. 31, after the streak hit seven video games. \u201c\u2026 [But] you form of must undergo these rising pains to get to the highest of the mountain. So I feel I’m simply shifting my perspective to that. Like, all of that is occurring for a purpose. There’s a lot that we are able to study from this.\u201d
Monumental Sports activities and Leisure, the group that owns the Washington Mystics, holds a minority stake in The Subsequent. The Subsequent\u2019s editorial operations are fully impartial of Monumental and all different enterprise companions.<\/em>
Jenn Hatfield is The Subsequent’s managing editor, Washington Mystics beat reporter and Ivy League beat reporter. She has been a contributor to The Subsequent since December 2018. Her work has additionally appeared at FiveThirtyEight, Her Hoop Stats, FanSided, Energy Performs, The Equalizer and Princeton Alumni Weekly.
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