The Washington Mystics are on an absolute tear, messing up playoff blueprints across the WNBA as they chase their seventh straight win. This team was supposed to be easy pickings for teams trying to grab that final playoff spot, but they’re proving everyone wrong with a serious defensive-first swagger.
Mystics Throw a Wrench in the WNBA Playoff Race
Remember when the Phoenix Mercury made that trade deadline move for Kelsey Plum? Everyone thought they’d steal the final playoff spot, probably from Washington. Well, the Mystics had other plans. They’ve not only secured their postseason position, they’ve rocketed up to No. 6 in the league standings! Phoenix, meanwhile, is sitting at 12th place, a full 7.5 games out of a playoff spot with just a 1-2 record since Plum joined up. What a flip! The Mystics are here to win, embracing an identity as a hard-playing, defensive-first squad that nobody’s gonna want to face in the playoffs. It’s their youngsters stepping up, showing the entire league, and maybe even their own organization, that they don’t care about old plans. They’re here, and they’re here to play some serious basketball.
This Streak Is LEGIT, But The Emerald City Had a Tough Night
And let’s be real, this isn’t some padded win streak against bottom feeders. This Mystics run started strong against the Golden State Valkyries at Ballhalla, then they took down the Las Vegas Aces at home, and the All-Star break didn’t even slow them down. They’ve since defeated the Connecticut Sun, snagged two straight wins over the Dallas Wings, including an insane 20-point comeback for one of those, and took down the Atlanta Dream. The league is buzzing, with other games like the Aces vs. New York Liberty match up where the Aces were resting key players, and the Dallas Wings with Azzi Fudd taking on the Minnesota Lynx and Rookie of the Year frontrunner Olivia Miles. It was also a homestate game for Paige Bueckers, and a return for former Lynx Jessica Shepard and Alanna Smith. Plus, there was the battle for California supremacy with the Golden State Valkyries facing the Los Angeles Sparks.
The Mystics are aiming for their seventh win in a row as they host the Phoenix Mercury. What was supposed to be a tight playoff seeding battle is now just another chance for these young D.C. players to keep proving themselves. But hey, while the Mystics are flying high, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for our own Seattle squad recently. The Seattle Storm unfortunately fell to the Portland Fire 93-100 in a tough one. We know our Storm will bounce back, but for now, the Mystics are making noise across the WNBA.
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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