The Washington Mystics showed grit and growth in back-to-back matchups last week, notching a win over the Indiana Fever on May 28 before falling to the New York Liberty on May 30. With standout performances from Brittney Sykes and continued consistency from rookies Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron, the Mystics are establishing a competitive identity despite an uneven start to the 2025 season.
May 28: Mystics Dominate Paint in Win Over Fever
In a 2025 season where every game is a test for this evolving Washington roster, the Mystics secured a hard-fought 88–81 win against the Indiana Fever at CFG Arena in Baltimore, MD. The game was originally moved to CFG Arena due to the anticipation of increased demand with Caitlin Clark coming to town. However, Clark did not play as she is recovering from a quad injury.
Nonetheless, the Mystics dominated and showed Baltimore fans what their team is made of. Brittney Sykes led the way with 21 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two blocks—marking her fifth straight game in double figures and fourth with at least 20 points. Her aggressive play earned her 10 trips to the free-throw line, tying a career-high for games with double-digit attempts in a season.
Rookie forwards Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron once again delivered. Iriafen scored 16 points and grabbed eight boards, matching a career high with seven field goals made. Citron added 13 points and seven rebounds, logging her sixth straight game in double figures—tying for the third-longest streak to start a season by a Mystics rookie.
Shakira Austin, returning to form after injury, provided a major boost off the bench with a season-high 13 points in just 15 minutes, all in the first half—marking a career-high for first-half scoring. Emily Engstler chipped in four assists in limited minutes, helping the Mystics notch their second-highest number of double-figure scorers in a game this year (four).
Washington held Indiana to zero fast break points, a defensive feat the team hadn’t accomplished since 2023, and won key battles in the paint (48–32), second-chance points (17–11), and overall rebounding. The Mystics also hit a season-high 25 free throw attempts—now 3–0 when reaching that mark.
May 30: Mystics Fall Short vs. Liberty Despite Record-Setting Milestones
Two nights later, the Mystics ran into a championship-caliber New York Liberty squad and fell 90–82 at Barclays Center. Despite the loss, Brittney Sykes reached a major career milestone and continued her individual dominance. With 20 points, she became the 42nd-fastest player in WNBA history to reach 3,000 career points. It also marked her fourth consecutive 20+ point performance, a new career-best streak.
Sykes made 9-of-10 from the free-throw line, improving to 82.1% on the season. Her 55 made free throws through six games now stand as the most in league history through that span, breaking Cynthia Cooper’s 1999 record.
Rookies Iriafen and Citron extended their double-digit scoring streaks to seven games each, becoming the first pair of WNBA rookies in the same season to open their careers with 10+ points in each of their first seven games.
Citron, who added 10 points, also became the first rookie in the 2025 class to reach 100 total points and leads all rookies in made three-pointers. Iriafen contributed 12 points and seven rebounds, including four offensive boards, and now leads all WNBA rookies with 71 total rebounds this season. Citron’s play also caught the attention of Sabrina Ionescu who said Sonia is one of her “favorite players.”
Sug Sutton added an efficient 7-point, 3-rebound, 3-assist outing while becoming just the 11th player in franchise history to shoot 100% from the field, three, and free-throw line in a game.
The Mystics shot a season-high 94.4% from the line (17-18) and outscored the Liberty 16–10 in fast break points.
Outlook
While the loss to New York showed there’s still work to be done on the defensive end, the Mystics’ ability to compete with top-tier teams and develop young talent is undeniable. With Brittney Sykes playing at an All-Star level and rookies like Iriafen and Citron continuing to break early-career records, Washington’s foundation is rapidly solidifying.