Mystics vs. Valkyries: Kiki Iriafen Scores 23 as Washington Snaps Golden State's 9-Game Winning Streak

Thousands of fans started lining up outside Chase Center four and a half hours before tipoff on Monday, all chasing a Hello Kitty plush reserved for the first 10,000 through the doors. The key chains vanished from the team stores in a hurry. By any measure, it was a great night for merchandise and a lousy one for the home team.

Down 80-73 with 3:32 left, the Washington Mystics closed on a 17-2 run and walked out with a 90-82 win behind Kiki Iriafen's 23 points and 12 rebounds. That ended the Golden State Valkyries' nine-game winning streak, the longest active run in the WNBA according to the Mystics, who also called it the franchise's first-ever victory over Golden State.

Fifteen Lead Changes and a Very Bad Ending

Nobody could hold anything for long in this one. Washington led 21-20 after one and 36-35 at the half, and there were 15 lead changes by the end. The Mystics opened a 45-35 lead with an 11-0 run that began just before the break and carried into the third, and the Valkyries answered with nine straight of their own to go up 51-50.

Then it got chippy. With 1:16 left in the third, rookie Cotie McMahon fouled Janelle Salaun hard, her foot came down on Salaun's hair, and a replay review ended with a technical on McMahon. Golden State scored eight straight in a run that reached into the fourth, and it carried a 58-54 lead into the final period.

Washington scratched back to lead 68-67 before Kaitlyn Chen took over. She hit a three midway through the quarter, set up a Kiah Stokes three on the next trip, and capped a 10-0 burst with a basket that made it 77-68 at 4:44. Shakira Austin and Michaela Onyenwere cut into it, but Kayla Thornton's and-one with 3:32 left pushed it to 80-73. The Valkyries were one decent stretch from a 10th straight win.

They did not score again until 13.8 seconds remained. By then it was 86-80, and Sonia Citron finished it with four straight free throws.

Iriafen Set the Terms

Iriafen shot 8 of 12, had 13 points by halftime and made the short jumper at 1:41 that put Washington ahead for good at 82-80. The team says it was her 11th double-double of the season and her fifth game this year with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. She also went 6 of 8 at the line, and two of those came with 18.8 seconds left to make it a two-possession game.

Austin was the other half of the frontcourt problem, with 15 points and 15 rebounds, 14 of them on the defensive end. She had 18 and 16 on Saturday, so that makes consecutive games of at least 15 and 15, and the Mystics say she moved into eighth place on the franchise's all-time rebounding list. Citron scored 17 with six assists and went a perfect 7 of 7 at the line. Georgia Amoore had nine points on three threes and tied her career high with eight assists.

Lauren Betts blocked a career-high four shots in about 14 minutes off the bench. The Mystics say no rookie reserve had reached four blocks in a game this season until she did it here.

For Golden State, Chen was terrific off the bench with 20 points and six assists on 8-of-13 shooting. Thornton scored 15 with four threes, Veronica Burton had 12 points and seven assists, and Salaun added 11. Gabby Williams never found it, finishing with eight points on 4-of-12 shooting, 0 of 4 from three and a minus-19.

Thirty-Four Seconds, Two And-Ones

The game flipped on two possessions, and the same two players handled both. At 2:47, Citron found McMahon for a driving layup and the foul. At 2:13, McMahon returned the favor, feeding Citron for a layup and another foul. Both free throws went in, and in 34 seconds an 80-74 deficit became 80-80.

That stretch changed the entire feel of the building. McMahon had drawn the technical that helped Golden State take over in the third, and now she was the one breaking the Valkyries' grip in the fourth. Golden State had chances down the stretch and did not cash them. Washington, after turning the ball over 17 times, played the final three minutes as if it had suddenly been handed a much easier game.

How the Streak Actually Died

• Fourth quarter: Washington 36, Golden State 24.
• Rebounds: Washington 35, Golden State 23, with a 29-16 edge on the defensive glass.
• Shooting: Washington 52 percent, Golden State 43 percent.
• Free throws: Washington 17 of 21, Golden State 8 of 11.
• Turnovers: Washington 17, Golden State 9, the main reason this was ever close.

A Split, and Some Unfinished Business

Washington improves to 13-12 and 8-6 on the road, stopping a two-game slide that included Saturday's 74-69 loss in this same building. The teams split two games over three days, Golden State took the first meeting 62-49 on July 6, and the Mystics now fly home to host Las Vegas on Wednesday.

Golden State falls to 19-8 and 11-4 at home. This was just the third loss in the Valkyries' last 16 games, and it also ended a four-game winning streak at Chase Center. They do not play again until after the All-Star break, when they visit Phoenix on July 29. A nine-game streak is an awfully nice thing to carry into a vacation. Losing it this way is a less pleasant souvenir.

No Mouth, No Comment

Hello Kitty, famously, has no mouth. Walking out of Chase Center on Monday night, a lot of the 18,064 people inside knew the feeling. They had waited for hours, watched their team build a seven-point lead with three and a half minutes left, and then sat through 13 straight Washington points with nothing to say about any of it. At least the plush does not know the score.

Stats from the official box score via ESPN. Game details as reported by the Associated Press and the Washington Mystics.