Mystics vs. Mercury: Sonia Citron Leads Washington to Second-Most Regular-Season Wins in Franchise History

Only one team in Washington Mystics history has won more regular-season games than this one, and that team finished its season holding the WNBA trophy.

Sonia Citron scored 19 points with nine assists, Kiki Iriafen posted 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Washington handled the Phoenix Mercury 94-84 on Tuesday night at Mortgage Matchup Center. The victory was Washington's 23rd of the season, which, according to the Associated Press, is the second-most regular-season wins in franchise history, behind only the 26 won by the 2019 club that went on to claim the WNBA title. And the Mystics still have six games left to chase it.

A Cold Open, Then a 15-0 Reply

Phoenix actually landed the first real punch. Down 7-2 early, the Mercury rattled off 11 straight points to lead 13-7, and for a few minutes the home crowd of 10,459 had something to cheer about.

Washington answered with a 15-0 run that turned that 13-7 hole into a 22-13 lead, and the Mystics took a 24-15 edge into the second quarter. They kept the pressure on, shooting 59% from the field in the first half by the AP's count, and then finished the half the way good teams do. With the lead at 43-33 late in the second quarter, Washington scored the final eight points before the break and the first two after it, a 10-0 run that made it 53-33 early in the third.

Halftime was 51-33, and the second half was a lot of Phoenix knocking on a door that never opened. The Mystics led by double digits for the entire second half, and the margin peaked at 20 more than once, including at 53-33 and 64-44. Phoenix won the third quarter 27-26 and the fourth 24-17, but the cushion was simply too big.

The Turning Point: The 15-0 Answer

Plenty of road teams fold after spotting the home side an 11-0 burst. Washington went the other way. The 15-0 response in the first quarter flipped the momentum for good, and Phoenix spent the rest of the night chasing. The Mercury led for only 8% of the game and never got closer than double figures in the second half.

Citron Ran It, Iriafen Owned the Glass

Citron was the engine. She hit 5 of 10 shots, including 3 of 6 from deep, went 6 of 7 at the line and found teammates for nine assists, finishing a team-best plus-18. Late in the fourth, with Phoenix chipping away, she set up a Georgia Amoore 3 that pushed the lead to 90-72, and Amoore followed with a driving layup for a 92-72 cushion with 3:36 left.

Iriafen did the dirty work and the scoring. Her 18 points came on 6-of-14 shooting with a perfect 5 of 5 at the line, and the 10 rebounds gave her, per the AP, her 17th double-double of the season. Shakira Austin was efficient inside with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting plus two steals and two blocks. Michaela Onyenwere did not miss, going 4 for 4 with two 3-pointers for 10 points in 19 minutes, and Lauren Betts added 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench with a plus-17. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton chipped in nine on 4-of-5 shooting.

For Phoenix, Natasha Mack was terrific with 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting, eight rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Kahleah Copper also scored 19, and Alyssa Thomas filled the stat sheet with 16 points and 10 assists. Kelsey Plum, in her first game since Aug. 9 according to the AP, added 10 points in 17 minutes on 4-of-12 shooting.

The Mercury's problem was the supporting cast. The AP noted that no Phoenix reserve made a field goal until Plum scored with 4:42 left in the third quarter. Valeriane Ayayi got her seven points entirely from the line.

It was a strange night statistically for Phoenix. The Mercury actually finished with more assists (22 to 21), more steals (nine to four) and fewer turnovers, and they shot 47% from the field. The difference was the arc. Washington's nine 3-pointers against Phoenix's three accounted for an 18-point swing in a game decided by 10, and the Mystics also owned the glass. Thomas did a little of everything with 10 assists and three steals, but she also committed four of the Mercury's nine turnovers.

Stats That Matter

• 9 of 21 vs. 3 of 17 from deep. Washington won the 3-point battle by 18 points.
• 35 of 68. The Mystics shot 51% for the game, after that blistering first half.
• 35-26 on the boards. Washington grabbed 10 offensive rebounds to Phoenix's six.
• 17-5 in fast-break points. The Mercury's one clear edge, and it was not enough.
• Five Mystics in double figures. Citron, Iriafen, Austin, Onyenwere and Betts all reached 10.

What It Means

Washington improved to 23-15, including 10-8 on the road, and has won two in a row after taking down Portland 105-100 on Sunday. That makes it seven wins in the last 10 games for a team that lost back-to-back games in Las Vegas earlier this month and has gone 4-1 since. The Mystics are now 2-0 against Phoenix this season, having also won 95-75 at home on Aug. 9. With six games remaining, the 2019 benchmark of 26 wins is within reach, and this team is playing like it knows it.

Phoenix dropped to 13-25 and is just 5-13 at home. The loss was the Mercury's third straight, and Phoenix has dropped five of its last six.

There is no time to dwell on it. The same two teams meet again on Thursday in Phoenix.

Final Word

In Hollywood terms, the 2019 Mystics are the original classic everybody quotes. This group is the sequel that nobody expected to be this good, the one critics keep grudgingly upgrading. Tuesday's win was another strong scene. If the Mystics keep this up over the final six games, they might force a rewrite of the franchise's all-time rankings.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Franchise record and game notes as reported by the Associated Press.