The Washington Mystics play the Portland Fire tomorrow night, kicking off a six game road trip (and a FIBA Women’s World Cup in between). Let’s preview this one.
Game info
When: Sunday, Aug. 22, 2026 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Moda Center, Portland
How to Watch: Monumental Sports Network
What to watch for
The Mystics have gone 21-15 this season so far, good enough for 7th in the league. They should be in a comfortable position to make the 2026 WNBA Playoffs. However, it’s still … mathematically possible that they could crash and burn
like how they did in the 2025 season with that ugly 10 game losing streak.
I am an optimist after seeing how Washington has done this season. They have taken care of business at home, going 13-7. They are also 8-8 on the road, which is remarkable for a very young team. But this long road trip will likely determine whether Washington could be a No. 5 seed — maybe even a No. 4 — or just squeak in as the No. 8 seed.
There aren’t many games against top tier opponents left. However, the Fire are at the No. 9 seed and will see this as a must win game. They are 5.5 games behind the Dallas Wings for the No. 8 and final playoff spot. Beating the Mystics will help them keep their playoff hopes alive.
We also need to look at the teams Washington plays after Portland. There are two consecutive games on the road against the Phoenix Mercury next week. Phoenix is the lowest seeded WNBA team that COULD make the playoffs, but they can make up significant ground if Washington loses two straight to them (which comes after a hypothetical loss to the Fire tomorrow). However, the Mystics could send the Mercury packing next week by taking care of business. The Los Angeles Sparks, who are already out of the playoff picture, host the Mystics for their last game before the FIBA Women’s World Cup break.
The Mystics are still on the road once the FIBA Women’s World Cup ends when they are one the road against the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever. The Fever should officially be playoff-bound by September. However, the Sky are currently 10th place and have two chances to make up ground against the Mystics — including Washington’s season finale (at Capital One Arena) on Sept. 24.
In short, this road trip will show us how resilient Washington can be during a very long journey, both before and after the FIBA Women’s World Cup. Hopefully, Washington comes out ahead in most of these remaining games so they can head into the playoffs as a team no one wants to face.
