The Mystics beat the Mercury, 100-77, to secure a spot in the postseason.
PHOENIX — Elena Delle Donne celebrated her 34th birthday in style Tuesday — with 24 points and a playoff berth. The Mystics’ 100-77 victory over the Phoenix Mercury clinched their sixth playoff appearance in seven seasons and ninth in 11, despite a tumultuous season that forced them to overcome a roster depleted by injuries.
“A little bit of relief,” Mystics Coach Eric Thibault said about securing the postseason berth. “Now we can just focus on being as good as we can be. We’ve got a couple more games that we want to win, that we want to play better. But, you know, bought ourselves a ticket here. We don’t take these opportunities for granted.”Washington had just eight players available with Shakira Austin, Ariel Atkins and Kristi Toliver all out, and five of those players scored in double figures.
“I just feel like we were locked in,” guard Natasha Cloud said. “We played tonight how we wanted to play. It wasn’t about anyone but us, and I think we all had an intentionality … of taking what they gave us. And those reads tonight made the difference. And that’s what’s going to make the difference moving forward. We have to read how the defenses play us and not just run our plays, not just run as robots.
Beyond Delle Donne, who did not speak to reporters after the game, three other starters scored in double figures. Cloud had 20 points , Brittney Sykes posted 18 and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough finished with 17. Rookie Li Meng scored 11 off the bench and recorded the first block of her career.Brittney Griner scored 16 points for the Mercury and became the 24th player in WNBA history to surpass 5,000 career points. Michaela Onyenwere scored a team-high 19, and Moriah Jefferson totaled 11.
“But we still need to win those two damn games because we have a chance to finish out even at the end of the year.”The Las Vegas Aces , New York Liberty , Connecticut Sun , Dallas Wings , Minnesota Lynx and Mystics have all locked up playoff slots, but moving pieces remain in terms of seeding. Washington could move up as high as No. 5 or possibly fall to No. 8 if it finishes in a tie with the Sparks .“It is like a weight off your shoulders, right?” Cloud said.
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