Kiki Iriafen controlled the Mystics vs Tempo matchup Tuesday night, finishing with 25 points and 14 rebounds in Washington's 79-62 road win over Toronto. The forward scored 13 of those points in the second half, taking over when the game was still within reach.
Shakira Austin matched her energy inside, adding 17 points and 10 rebounds. Together, they helped the Mystics (12-10) outrebound Toronto 46-26 and generate 20 second-chance points while holding the Tempo to just three.
Julie Allemand Steps Up as Injured Tempo Hit Season-Low WNBA Score
Still, Julie Allemand kept Toronto competitive for stretches.
The guard led the Tempo with 15 points and five rebounds, and Nyara Sabally added 13 off the bench. But an injury-depleted roster that was missing Brittney Sykes, Kiki Rice, and Temi Fagbenle, left Toronto without enough firepower to keep pace.
"We miss them on the court, and we can't wait for them to be back because, I think since the beginning of the season, I'm wondering if we had one game with the full roster," Allemand said. Still, she admitted the team have to protect the ball better without their bigs.
"When they are really physical like this, I think we need to be better as a team on defense."
The Tempo will look to regroup against the Atlanta Dream on Friday at 7:30 PM ET on ION.
