Washington now sits on the point of elimination getting into Sunday’s Game 2.
The opener was a thrilling, back-and-forth affair that included a scorching 26 factors from Mystics star Elena Delle Donne, who made 9 straight pictures at one level in the second half. Breanna Stewart countered with 23 factors as the group chanted “MVP! MVP!” in the sport’s closing moments. Loyd completed with 16.
Natasha Cloud and Ariel Atkins added 16 factors apiece for the Mystics.
Delle Donne’s three-point play gave Washington a 65-64 lead heading into the fourth quarter. But as soon as Loyd joined Stewart throwing haymakers on the Mystics in the ultimate quarter, the guests have been unable to counter.
This 4-5 matchup has been probably the most anticipated of the collection of the primary spherical — a conflict of groups which have claimed three of the previous 4 WNBA championships — and Game 1 didn’t disappoint. Both groups completed the common season at 22-14, the tiebreaker going to Seattle by advantage of it having gained two of the three conferences.
Few secrets and techniques exist between the 2. Their veteran-laden rosters have performed towards one another for years, on all-star groups and Olympic groups. They have been additionally two of the highest defensive groups in the league in 2022.
“I think it’s tougher,” Storm Coach Noelle Quinn mentioned of the familiarity earlier than the sport. “You think about what happens in practice when you go against each other and you know the plays that are coming. Now, when you’re able to execute while the other team knows exactly what you’re going to do, that is a level of efficient execution that happens in practice and will happen in the game. It’s exactly that — we know each other, but at the end of the day it’s who’s going to step up and make plays and who’s going to play some really good basketball.”
Mystics Coach and General Manager Mike Thibault had the identical finish ideas, however a distinct method.
“I don’t know if it matters,” Thibault mentioned. “I think it’s probably easier in preparation in the sense that everybody knows each other. We played each other recently. Some of these players have played together. We play similar styles. Noelle and I know each other. It’s just one of those things where [we’re] evenly matched teams. Who’s going to play a little bit better?”
The storylines are in all places all through this collection. Delle Donne taking part in in the playoffs for the primary time for the reason that group gained a championship in 2019 and almost having her profession finish prematurely due to a pair of again surgical procedures. Alysha Clark, who received a an echoing ovation throughout introductions, returning to the group the place she performed her first 9 years and gained a pair of titles.
The Storm are attempting to ship Sue Bird out together with her fifth championship as she’s going to ender what might be a Hall of Fame profession after this season. Tina Charles is continuous to chase that elusive ring as she has discovered a house in Seattle — the third group in the final two years, together with the Mystics. Stewart was named AP participant of the 12 months this week and is on the lookout for a second MVP.
Things have been all tied up 18-18 after a primary quarter in which each groups received their jabs in like a pair of fighters feeling one another out. The Mystics opened with a 7-0 run as the group, nonetheless on its ft from the opening introductions, murmured quietly. Things flipped rapidly because the Storm answered with a 13-5 stretch that received the constructing rocking.
Charles spearheaded a 10-2 run in the second quarter that pressured Thibault to name timeout. He mentioned pregame that using timeouts might be essential as the 2 groups performed their very own private chess match. There might be runs, Thibault defined, however they want to be stored to 5-0 as a substitute of 12-0, for instance. Washington rapidly answered with an 11-2 run and would take a 42-40 lead into halftime after a pair of baskets from Delle Donne.
Down the stretch, the ultimate run belonged to Seattle.