Kiki Iriafen finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Washington Mystics beat the Phoenix Mercury 94-84 on Tuesday night. The double-double marked her 17th this season, extending her own franchise record.
The game also marked the return of recent Mercury signing Kelsey Plum, as she recovers from a calf injury that sidelined her since August 9th.
Washington Offense Dominates Mystics vs Mercury 1st Half
Washington's first half performance made the difference in the win. The Mystics shot 59% before the break to build a 51-33 cushion, and Phoenix never recovered.
Sonia Citron led all scorers with 19 points and nine assists, while Shakira Austin added 16 points. In all, five Washington players reached double figures, with Michaela Onyenwere and Lauren Betts each contributing 10.
Kelsey Plum Returns to the Court for Phoenix
On the other end, the Mercury went cold from deep, converting just three of 17 attempts from 3-point range. Kahleah Copper and Natasha Mack each scored 19 in the loss, and Alyssa Thomas added 16 points with 10 assists.
Plum scored 10 points in 17 minutes of playing time in her return. Still, Phoenix's bench went scoreless until the 4:42 mark of the third quarter.
With the victory, Washington improved to 23-15, marking the second-most regular-season wins in franchise history. The Mystics and Mercury meet again Thursday in Phoenix at 10 PM ET on Prime.
