No. 4 Atlanta showed off on Sunday, holding off No. 5 Washington 92-77 behind a strong second-half showing to claim Game 1 of the Mystics vs Dream WNBA playoffs series.
Down five points at the half, Atlanta turned things around behind guard Rhyne Howard and forward DeWanna Bonner’s last-game scoring spree.
“Making sure that we’re playing our defense for a full 40 minutes is gonna be key, because you want to take their confidence early,” Howard said.
The young Mystics now have their work cut out for them, likely leaning on second-year duo Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron in Wednesday’s Game 2.
“We’re disappointed about the loss, but I’m excited to take this first step forward with Kiki and Sonia and our whole group,” said coach Sydney Johnson.
Washington hosts Atlanta on Wednesday at 7 PM ET (ESPN).
