The Washington Mystics are absolutely on fire, rolling into the playoffs with an 11-4 record since the All-Star break, making them the best team in the league over that stretch. If you watched them dismantle the Chicago Sky 110-80 on Thursday, you know exactly who’s driving that late-season surge: rookie point guard Georgia Amoore.
From Sidelines to Sniper
Amoore dropped 12 points and dished out five assists in that blowout win, but it was her lights-out shooting from deep that really flipped the game. She drained an insane 4 of 7 from outside the arc. Right on the first possession of the second half, Amoore initiated the offense, cut to the corner, took a pass from Shakira Austin, and splash! Three-pointer. Her teammates were celebrating before the ball even hit the net. A few plays later, she inbounded to Cotie McMahon, circled to the top of the key, and knocked down another triple. Again, the bench was on its feet. Kiki Iriafen summed it up perfectly: “We need her to take those shots. We want her to take those shots. And we have 120 percent confidence in her when she’s shooting.” Those threes helped turn an 11-point halftime lead into an absolute rout.
The 16-Month Nightmare
Just a few months ago, this kind of performance from Amoore felt impossible. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Amoore tore her ACL in her right knee during training camp last April, sidelining her for the entire 2025 season. An Australian native, she chose to spend most of her offseason rehabbing in D.C. with the Mystics’ performance staff, grinding in largely empty gyms. That effort earned her medical clearance and the starting point guard job, but when she hit the court, something was off. “The way I play, my feet are quick, I’m bouncy, I have a spring,” Amoore told CBS Sports. “I just didn’t have that for the first 75% of the season.” Her WNBA debut was rough: 2 of 9 shooting, five turnovers to just six points. May wasn’t much better, averaging 6.3 points, four assists, and 2.7 turnovers on a dismal 26.7% from the field, including 22.6% from three. The struggles dragged on, with August seeing her score just three points over five games, including four scoreless outings. People were legitimately wondering if she should even be starting. Amoore put it bluntly: “It was just my injury. I think the biggest thing was telling myself every single other athlete I had talked to said for them it didn’t click for a year and a half, two years after. You get a year of rehab, or nine months, and then you gotta play. You gotta play through all the crap. I was doing that against the best in the world and in the best league in the world, so that was like a second slap in the face.”
Finally, The Spark
Then, it finally clicked. Shortly before the World Cup break, 16 months after her injury, and 35 games into her rookie season, the old Amoore started to emerge. She made three 3-pointers in three consecutive outings. With Amoore finally finding her stride and confidence, the Mystics are a dangerous team heading into the postseason. Can she keep this fire lit as they chase something big? You bet your bottom dollar she can, and the rest of the league needs to be ready for it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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