All eight WNBA playoff spots are officially clinched, with the Dallas Wings securing that final berth on Tuesday night. This means we are fully into potential playoff matchups, and honestly, few teams are as intriguing to watch as the Washington Mystics right now. They might have the same 23-15 record as the New York Liberty, but thanks to New York winning the season series 2-1, Washington sits as the current No. 7 seed, with the Liberty at No. 6. The Mystics are two games behind the Indiana Fever for the No. 5 seed and two-and-a-half games back from the Atlanta Dream at No. 4. The Las Vegas Aces (No. 3) and Golden State Valkyries (No. 2) are only three and four games ahead, respectively, but with just seven games remaining, that ground is just not happening. So, all signs point to the Mystics landing one of the bottom three seeds and a likely first-round date with the Aces, Valkyries, or Lynx.
Why Avoiding The Lynx Is A Must-Do For Washington
Look, beggars can’t be choosers, but the Mystics absolutely have to prefer one of these top-tier teams over another. And the Minnesota Lynx? They are the squad to dodge this season. Washington has actually played the Lynx close, even snagging a win and losing another by just two points. But here’s the kicker: Napheesa Collier, an ethereal talent, didn’t play in any of those three games! Collier will bring much needed support inside the paint against Washington’s Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin. Olivia Miles consistently dropped 20-plus points against the Mystics, but even she would benefit from the ancillary advantage creation Collier provides inside. One of Washington’s only real win conditions against a Collier-led Lynx team would be to dominate the 3-point battle, but that’s a huge ask when you look at the numbers. Minnesota is the second-best 3-point shooting team in the WNBA, draining shots at a 39 percent clip as a team. They outpace the Mystics by nine percent from deep, which translates to a massive 10 more points per game from 3-pointers. Who on Washington, besides Sonia Citron, can consistently catch fire in a big playoff moment? The Mystics have built their style on tough, bully-ball scoring through their post players, but the wear and tear of playoff games could absolutely catch up to that approach.
The A’ja Wilson Problem The Mystics Face
In a similar vein, the Las Vegas Aces would prove to be an incredibly tough matchup for Sydney Johnson’s interior scorers. We’re talking about A’ja Wilson here, an eternal 99th-percentile defender and arguably the best 1-on-1 interior matchup problem in the history of the league. Sure, some might say Washington’s interior dominance is a nightmare for Vegas, but that road runs both ways. As difficult as Austin and Iriafen would make life for Wilson, you know Wilson is going to thwart a significant amount of the Mystics’ post-up game.
The Mystics have worked hard to clinch a playoff spot, but now the real work begins. With their likely opponent being one of these formidable teams, they’ve got their hands full trying to carve out a path to advancing. This is going to be appointment viewing, folks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Swish Appeal.
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