Calming the storm

Photographed by Matt Fronda

The Mystics snapped a two-game losing streak with a much-needed win, riding the energy from the crowd to a 69–58 victory Saturday night. They calmed the Seattle Storm in the District and evened out their record at 12–12. Shakira Austin got off to a strong start, establishing her physical presence in the paint and finishing with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Sug Sutton added a crowd-pleasing 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, and rising rookie star Sonia Citron chipped in with 11 points and 10 boards—giving Mystics fans quality production from the team’s young core.

Seattle hung around in the first half behind Nneka Ogwumike, who scored 18 points and looked unstoppable early, going 6-of-14 from the field. But the Mystics seemed to flip the defensive switch at halftime. They came out locked in and held Seattle to just 10 points in the third quarter. Ogwumike tried to carry her first-half momentum into the second, but the Mystics’ stifling defense and quick hands shut her out completely in the final two quarters, shifting the entire energy of the game.

I’m encouraged by how the Mystics didn’t panic when Seattle made an 11–0 run in the fourth, cutting the lead to four. They stayed composed. Brittney Sykes showed real guts by attacking the rim late for key buckets, and Iriafen knocked down clutch free throws to close it out. It was one of those feel-good victories that really shows the potential of this team moving forward—and I, along with the District, am here for it.

Carlos Cruz

July 27, 2025, 2:00 PM Est.