Quadruple Overtime Thriller in the Capital (6-28-26)
By: Jemesia Jefferson
All Photo Credit: Washington Mystics
WASHINGTON D.C.—Washington walked into tonight’s matchup hungry for a win. After two losses this week — a heartbreaker against the Lynx and arguably their worst game of the season against the Sun, it was time to get back into the win column. That hunger fueled them to a hot start. Mystics jumped out to a 23-11 lead within the first 5 minutes with 10 of those points coming from veteran forward, Michaela Onyenwere. When Oyenwere gets going, it’s a good sign for the Mystics.
The lead was short-lived. The Portland Fire suddenly couldn’t miss from beyond the arc. The second tie of the game came at the 1:49 mark with the third tie roughly 30 seconds later. It was a foreshadowing of things to come.
The second and third quarters were led by Portland. Each time Washington made a run, Portland quickly found an answer. Whether a Meg Gustafson three or a Sarah Ashlee Barker layup, they knew how to quiet the crowd.
Frankly, the same thing could be said about most of the fourth quarter. Then, in the second year duo KITRON, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, turned the tide. They sparked a 16-5 run that ended with the Mystics taking an 83-80 lead with less than a minute to go.
Now, this is where the excitement, or exhaustion, begins. Washington got to the line several times to take the lead but Portland kept finding a way. Specifically, Carla Leite hit a game-tying three at the buzzer. Then she did it again to send the game into the second overtime. The third overtime came after a game-tying layup by Sonia Citron with less than 28 seconds to go. Then Bridget Carleton hit a 16-foot jumper to take us to the fourth.
It’s quadruple overtime. The score is tied at 116 and the crowd is anxious for a win. Things are looking uncertain when Portland takes the 120-118 lead with 1:25 to go. Rookie Cotie McMahon and Citron get two straight possessions to go giving Washington a 124-122 lead. Leite decides she’s not quite ready to go home yet. She gets to the line and hits the first. The second goes off to the right and Frieda Buhner grabs the rebound. Timeout goes to Portland. The crowd holds its breath when they see Leite with the ball but they breathe a sigh of relief when she misses the floater. And for the second time, the Mystics get a win in quadruple overtime.
Citron (32), Iriafen (27) & Oyenwere (30) hit new career highs in points while rookie Alicia Florez sets a career high in steals (5). Mystics will get three days of rest before their next home matchup against the Atlanta Dream (12-7).
