Washington Mystics clinch top seed in WNBA playoffs

Photo Credit: Ned Dishman/NBAE/Getty Images

The year after the Washington Mystics came within a mere three victories of winning the 2018 WNBA championship, the path to the title this year will indeed go through the nation’s capital.

By virtue of the team’s 86-73 victory in D.C. over the Dallas Wings, as well as the Chicago Sky defeating the Connecticut Sun 109-104 in overtime, Washington will be the team to beat in this year’s postseason.

Since the All-Star break, the Mystics are a robust 13-2 and appear to be hitting their stride with the postseason looming. Washington’s stellar play has come despite being without their three-point specialist in Kristi Toliver.

Washington still has Emma Meesseman, who tallied 25 points and 10 rebounds in the victory over Dallas. They also have MVP candidate Elena Delle Donne, who contributed 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists in that game. LaToya Sanders scored 16 points and Aerial Powers added 12.

A pair of Mystics achieved career milestones as Meesseman reached the 2,000-point plateau for her career and Natasha Cloud became the Mystics’ single-season record holder for assists with 184.

For the Wings, Arike Ogunbowale bolstered her Rookie of the Year candidacy via a 30-point outing where she shot 10-21 from the field and made all nine of her free throws. Isabelle Harrison scored 15 points and added eight rebounds. Glory Johnson also had eight rebounds.

As for the playoffs, the Connecticut Sun also earned a double-bye into the semifinals with three-seeded Los Angeles Sparks and four-seeded Las Vegas Aces getting byes to the second round.

Five-seeded Chicago Sky will host eight-seeded Phoenix Mercury and six-seeded defending champion Seattle Storm gets the seventh seeded Minnesota Lynx.