Washington Mystics visit Seattle Storm with postseason aspirations at stake
Live coverage of the WNBA continues late on Tuesday night as the Washington Mystics visit the Seattle Storm. Set your alarms and join us live at 3am on Sky Sports Mix, Sky Sports Arena and the Sky Sports App
Tuesday 7 September 2021 13:58, UK
The Washington Mystics and the host Seattle Storm are both struggling as they prepare to meet live on Sky Sports on Tuesday night.
The difference is that defending WNBA champions Seattle have already clinched a playoff berth while the Mystics are locked in a four-team battle for the two remaining playoff spots.
The Connecticut Sun, Las Vegas Aces, Minnesota Lynx, Phoenix Mercury and Chicago Sky are the other teams to have clinched their places in the post-season. The Dallas Wings, New York Liberty and Los Angeles Sparks are among the chasing pack hoping to finish in seventh or eighth - the final two places.
The Storm (19-10) stopped a three-game losing streak when they rallied for an 85-75 home victory against New York last Thursday, winning comfortably in the end despite making just two of 14 three-point attempts.
That continued a recent trend that includes a poor shooting performance in a 107-75 loss to Chicago on August 29. They will know they need to improve their outside shooting by the time the playoffs begin on September 23.
"We're defying the odds, that's for sure," said Breanna Stewart, who has made just six of 32 three-pointers in her past seven games. "We had the mentality before the game that we really wanted to get the ball into the paint."
Stewart did however make 12 of 22 shots and 9 of 11 free throws in scoring a game-high 33 points against the Liberty. She also averages 36.5 per cent from deep for her career to date.
"She willed herself to score and defend," Storm coach Noelle Quinn said. "From the tip, she was getting bumped and pushed. I thought she fought through the physicality and was physical back."
The Mystics (10-17) welcomed back league-leading scorer Tina Charles from a four-game absence due to a sore left hip but fell to the host Minnesota Lynx on Saturday 93-75, their seventh loss in the past nine games.
Key absences have derailed the second half of Washington's season as Elena Delle Donne (back) and Myisha Hines-Allen (non-COVID-19 illness) did not travel, while Charles, Theresa Plaisance and Erica McCall were all on minutes restrictions.
Charles was productive in her time on the court, however, posting 12 points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes, but Washington trailed by as many as 23 points in the blow-out.
"Even Tina at not 100 per cent is a big plus for us, having her back out on the floor," coach Mike Thibault said. "This is typical of our season. It's just the way everything has been. It's like real life. Stuff gets thrown at you, and it's how you handle it. You can moan and groan about it, but it doesn't change anything."
The Mystics will certainly be hoping their fortunes take a much calmer turn against the Storm.
