Mystics Fall Short in Final Minute Against Lynx

It had been a whirlwind week for the Washington Mystics. Just days after adding two new faces, veteran champion Alysha Clark and second-year guard Jacy Sheldon, the team hit the road to face the Minnesota Lynx. For Clark, making her Mystics debut in a game that turned into a back-and-forth battle, was one that ultimately slipped away in the final minute, 80-76.

Here is how it all went down from the Target Center.

From the jump, Washington looked sharp, opening on a quick 10-2 lead. Every possession had purpose, crisp passing, confident shots, and strong defense that forced the Lynx into a 1-for-8 start from three-point range. Shakira Austin went to work in the paint, Stefanie Dolson knocked down clean looks as both players combined for 12 points early. By the time the first horn sounded, the Mystics had hit two-thirds of their shots and built a 22-15 cushion.

Washington’s early rhythm carried into the second quarter, but Minnesota began to chip away. Alanna Smith, Courtney Williams, and DiJonai Carrington sparked a surge, giving the Lynx their first lead at 30-29. It didn’t last long, rookie Lucy Olsen buried back-to-back threes, silencing the crowd. But in the closing minute, the game swung again. Jessica Shepard converted a three-point play, Williams nailed a mid-range jumper, and Bridget Carleton’s buzzer-beater sent Washington into halftime trailing 38-35.

The Mystics came out of the locker room with fire, rattling off a 6-0 run thanks to Austin, Sonia Citron, and Sug Sutton. What followed was pure tug-of-war basketball, seven lead changes in the quarter. Citron was electric, drilling two threes and scoring eight in the period. When Emily Engstler hit from deep to make it 55-51, it felt like Washington was seizing control. But Minnesota had an answer, closing the quarter on a 7-0 burst capped by Carrington’s long-range dagger to lead 58-55.

The fourth began with a surge. Sutton and Dolson scored, then Clark, in her first game back with Washington, knocked down a three to push the Mystics ahead 62-58. But the Lynx wouldn’t go away. Carrington and Kayla McBride tied it, Smith’s outside shooting stretched the lead, and every Mystics response was met with another Minnesota punch. Citron kept Washington alive with a layup-and-one and a clutch game-tying three, her fourth of the night, with under two minutes left. The score sat at 76-76, the game up for grabs. But in the closing moments, the Lynx found just enough. McBride’s layup broke the tie, and a pair of free throws in the final seconds sealed a four point win for the Lynx.

The Mystics will conclude their four-game road trip on Sunday afternoon against the Dallas Wings with tip-off at 4 PM ET.