The Dallas Wings (18-10) travel to Washington for the first of two road games in a week against the Washington Mystics (15-12) 7:30pm CDT Friday at CareFirst Arena. The Mystics, winners of three straight, appear close to developing a winning formula in year two of their rebuild; they beat Connecticut Tuesday in their most recent action, 92-83. The Wings lost 82-81 Wednesday to Atlanta, as a 12-point 4th quarter lead evaporated.
Washington has learned how to win as it has figured out its offense, rounding
out a club that already had a strong defensive identity and already led the league in rebounding and foul shooting. 2026 marks the second year for coach Sydney Johnson, as well as guard Sonia Citron and forward Kiki Iriafen, and with a comfortable 3.5 game lead for the league’s final playoff spot the Mystics appear to have their eyes set on more as they gel.
Crunch time contrast
A lot had to go wrong for the Wings to lose a game they had controlled nearly all of. They gave up buckets down the stretch to Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard finally got going after a slow start. On offense they got big plays from Jessica Shepard, Azzi Fudd, Arike Ogunbowale, and Paige Bueckers in the final minutes but also lost precious possessions to a bad entry pass on one play and a shot clock violation with :45 left after Angel Reese blocked a shot the team had worked hard to create. A late flagrant foul call on a closeout by Ogunbowale cost the Wings three foul shots and possession, then Gray got a quick basket to complete the comeback against both Dallas and conventional basketball math.
Though the Wings and Mystics both rank top five in clutch wins, Wednesday’s collapse stands in contrast to a Washington team that has won by handling business in decisive moments. Iriafen keyed a 32-point fourth quarter from the Mystics in the comeback win against Golden State. Against the Aces it was center Shakira Austin’s turn as she scored seven straight points to ignite a rally in a game the Mystics trailed much of by double figures, then scored a putback and foul shot to retake the lead. Tuesday the Sun fought them to a draw in the first half before a dominant third quarter set the Mystics apart. Austin was a battering ram with three bullying buckets out of halftime and a nice find of Citron in the corner for a three.
Leveling up
In winning against Golden State, Las Vegas, and Connecticut, the Mystics young core has turned one of its weaknesses into strengths. During this streak the Mystics have greatly outshot their miserable .295 season percentage from three, going 22 of 46 over that span. One key to it has been the hot hand of guard Georgia Amoore; she’s seven of 10 from deep during this streak.
Having a credible outside threat has unlocked Washington’s formidable frontcourt, as the check on perimeter defenders has given Iriafen and Austin room to work. The Mystics also bring talented bigs off the bench in Lauren Betts and Cotie McMahon. Betts’ impact on games has increased along with her playing time; she brings tough rim protection with five blocks in the win streak. The Wings can counter with size of their own; Shepard scored 15 and hauled in 14 Wednesday in another balanced performance for the All-Star forward. Shepard, Awak Kuwier, and Li Yeuru could be joined by forward Alanna Smith, who practiced with the team this week after a right leg injury held her out of the last four games.
Handle with care
If it seems like this piece is overly focused on the last three games for the Mystics, it’s because they’ve played like a very different team in that time. Washington’s other weakness, turnovers, remains an issue. The Mystics commit a league-worst 16.0 per game, and have only slightly improved upon that during this win streak, with totals of 16, 13, and 14. They caught the bug bad early against Connecticut, giving away points in a game they could have put away early.
The Wings, who scored 18 points off turnovers against Atlanta, rank fourth leaguewide in points off turnovers with 16.5 per game. Despite the giveaways, the Mystics’ comeback wins were made possible by some pretty smart passing, like Austin’s find of a cutting Citron to keep the Mystics alive against the Aces, and McMahon’s find of a cutting Citron to tie the Valkyries with just under two minutes. With mixed success, the Mystics have shared the ball all season, and their elevated assist numbers in this stretch (25, 24, 20) suggest that they’re improving at it.
How to watch
Friday’s game will be broadcast on ION network. Tip is at 7 p.m.
