Shakira Austin scored 25 points and completed a game-winning putback as the Washington Mystics rallied past the Las Vegas Aces 100-99 Wednesday night.
Shakira Austin scored 25 points and finished an and-one off her own offensive rebound with 12.8 seconds left, capping a furious rally as the Washington Mystics beat the Las Vegas Aces 100-99 on Wednesday. It became the Mystics' second straight win over a top team heading into the All-Star break.
Las Vegas was up 91-82 with four minutes remaining following A'ja Wilson's floater. However, Washington went on an 8-0 run to close the gap. Chelsea Gray's and-one temporarily slowed Washington's rally, with the Aces leading 99-97 with 17.8 seconds left. Sonia Citron missed a driving layup; Austin secured the rebound, scored, and completed the free throw, giving Washington a 100-99 lead and the victory.
Georgia Amoore credited the defense for the Mystics' comeback.
"I think our defense. We finally started getting stops, and we needed stop after stop after stop," Amoore said. "We were going bucket for bucket for a little too long, but once we really locked in defensively and won our one-on-one matchups, we were able to get the lead."
Austin scored 25 points, extending her streak to six games with at least 15 points and five rebounds, her longest. Citron had 20 points and matched her career high of eight assists. Mystics coach Sydney Johnson said her growth as a playmaker is now as valuable as her scoring.
"That's part of Sonia's growth. We certainly want her making plays off the ball as a traditional wing, but it's also a nice change of pace to have her initiate the offense," Johnson said. "Everyone saw the scoring, but she also had eight assists. She's blossoming as someone who can create for others in addition to getting to her drives and her mid-range game."
Kiki Iriafen had her 12th double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds, marking her 28th career double-double and moving into third place in franchise history. Lauren Betts scored 13 off the bench, while Amoore and Michaela Onyenwere each had 10, with six Washington players finishing in double figures—tying a franchise record.
Betts, who was competing against A'ja Wilson for the first time, felt personal significance to have the matchup.
"I literally said at the draft, 'Guys, if I score on A'ja Wilson, I will cry.' I almost shed a tear. I almost did in the middle of the game, but I kept it together because I wanted to stay in the game," Betts said. "She's just a phenomenal player and someone I've looked up to for a really long time."
Washington out-rebounded Las Vegas 34-24, with a 12-4 advantage on the offensive glass, and shot 53.8% from beyond the arc. Johnson attributed the win, which came shortly after their first-ever victory over Golden State two days earlier.
"You're down nine in the fourth quarter against the defending champions, a team with Olympians and future Hall of Famers. What I'm most proud of is that they stayed true to what we've been building since training camp," Johnson said. "The toughness and togetherness are real. They couldn't fake it if they tried." He added he's still hoping Austin gets an All-Star nod as an injury replacement. "She's absolutely played at an All-Star level. She's been phenomenal for us."
Wilson led Las Vegas (18-8) with 38 points on 12-of-16 shooting, missing one of 13 free throws with her miss coming with 17 seconds left, opening the door for Washington's final possession. It was her eighth 30-point game this season, the most in the league, and 45th of her career, just behind Diana Taurasi's 54 all-time. She extended her streak of double-digit scoring to 48 games. Jackie Young scored 24 points, but her streak of 33 free throws ended in the third quarter. Chelsea Gray added 19 points. Aces coach Becky Hammon blamed the loss mainly on her team's defense.
"The key for us is when we don't defend, we lose. Giving up 100 points and a 29-point fourth quarter, we're not going to win those games," Hammon said. "We're 0-3 when we allow that, and in our losses we're giving up 95 points per game. The defense wasn't good enough. A lot of that came down to second-chance points and rebounding."
Brianna Turner said Washington's physicality led to some issues for the Aces late.
"We knew coming in that the Mystics are a really physical team, so that wasn't a big surprise to us," Turner said. "We've had a couple games where we've had defensive lapses, and that showed up again tonight. We just have to lock in better, be more physical and make sure we hit the boards."
Cheyenne Parker-Tyus emphasized the Aces' main focus during the break will be to study the film from the loss and evaluate the defensive lapses the team has experienced.
"For us, it's about regrouping. Our focus as a team is to get better every day, especially on defense," Parker-Tyus said. "We need to go back, watch film, look at those defensive lapses and figure out how we can be better for the second half of the season."
Citron and Iriafen head to Chicago to represent Washington at All-Star Weekend. Las Vegas hosts the Portland Fire on Tuesday, and Washington hosts the Connecticut Sun the same day, the second game of a six-game homestand.
