Boston and Mitchell Lead Indiana In Victory Over Washington (6-19-24)
By: Jaden Golding
Headline Photo Credit: WNBA
Indianapolis, IN- The Indiana Fever defeated the Washington Mystics 88-81, on Wednesday, June 19th at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Indiana (6-10) snapped Washington’s (2-13) two-game winning streak, extending its winning streak to three games.
Kelsey Mitchell and Aaliyah Boston scored 22 points each. Caitlyn Clark notched her second double-double this year, scoring 18 points with 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and four steals while shooting 6-for-12 from the field.
The Fever led by seven at multiple points in the first and second quarters. Mitchell scored 11 of her 22 points in the first half making two three-pointers. Indiana led after the end of the first three quarters and had a nine-point lead entering the final quarter.
Washington opened up the quarter on a 9-2 run, thanks to some timely buckets from Emily Engstler to trail only 70-68 at the seven-minute mark.
The Fever would reclaim its nine-point lead accompanied by seven straight unanswered points. Ariel Atkins hit a three-pointer to cut the lead down to 77-71.
Mitchell would respond with a three of her own, hurting Washington’s defense as she had been doing all game long.
Erica Wheeler made a pull-up jump shot to extend the Fever’s lead to 11 points, its largest lead of the game with a little under three-and-a-half minutes remaining.
Washington cut the lead down to 6 and five but couldn’t come up with the necessary stops to try and come back in this game.
Atkins continues her hot stretch of scoring, leading with 27 points on 58% shooting from the floor, and hitting two threes from beyond the arc. Stefanie Dolson had 14 points and made four three-pointers. Karlie Samuelson finished with 16 points, five assists, and two steals.
Indiana shot 51% from the field as a team, outscored Washington in the paint 38-to-26, and scored 20 points off turnovers.
Washington has dropped the first two games of the season series and will play the Fever two more times this year.
The Mystics were missing starting guard Brittney Sykes as she had injured her left foot in her return during the game against Atlanta last Tuesday. Shakira Austin has now missed her seventh straight contest as she tends to a left hip issue.
Washington has been playing its best stretch of basketball since the June 7th contest against the Sky, as all of its losses have been by single digits where D.C. has had opportunities to win some of these close contests. The Mystics have found success in this recent stretch picking up its first two regular-season victories.
The Mystics will host the Dallas Wings in back-to-back games, one on Saturday afternoon and the other on Sunday afternoon both at 3 p.m.
