Overview
- Shakira Austin scored a career-high 31 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Mystics to a 105-100 comeback win over the Portland Fire on Sunday.
- Kiki Iriafen added a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds and Georgia Amoore and Cotie McMahon provided key bench support in the road victory.
- Washington’s win, combined with a Chicago Sky loss, clinched the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 2023 and moved the Mystics to 22-15 and a projected No. 7 seed.
- The Portland game featured a stark free-throw and rebounding gap that tilted the outcome, with Washington attempting 44 free throws to Portland’s 15 and out-rebounding the Fire 48-30.
- The Mystics now begin a six-game road trip with two games in Phoenix next, and the results after the FIBA Women’s World Cup pause will determine whether the young core improves its seeding.