Just two games into the 2022 WNBA Season and the Washington Mystics are making it known that they are going to be contenders. The most recent impressive performance for the team came on Sunday as they had a 78-66 victory over the Minnesota Lynx.
With only eight players having traveled to Minnesota, players like Ariel Atkins, Natasha Cloud, Shakira Austin, and Myisha Hines-Allen and others stepped up to the plate to show that they are a team that can win basketball games.
The Mystics came out early and often, showing some great shooting prowess and defense to get the early punch in the battle against the Lynx. From there it was all about how to maintain that lead, how to play the defensive schemes that they can play in and eventually earning their second victory in what is a very early 2022 WNBA Season.
Leading the scoring for Washington was Natasha Cloud, who had 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting (.538). Cloud sizzled from the three point arc, as she connected on four of them. For Natasha, she also did a stellar job in setting up her teammates dishing out six assists, the guard has now recorded 5+ assists in six consecutive games dating back to last season.
1495 Sports is proud to bring the following Washington Mystics Post Game Press Conference from 5/8/2022. This was after the Mystics 78-66 victory over the Minnesota Lynx. The video features thoughts from General Manager and Head Coach Mike Thibault along with Ariel Atkins, Shakira Austin and Natasha Cloud:
Playing in her second game with the team, and earning her first start was rookie center Shakira Austin, who recorded her first double-double (13 points and 10 rebounds). Austin joins former Mystics center Alessandra Santos de Oliveira (19 points, 18 rebounds done on 6/13/98) as just the second rookie in franchise history to record a double-double through only two career games played.
Austin impressed on both sides of the floor, as the center was able to play stellar defense against eventual Hall of Fame center Sylvia Fowles.
Ariel Atkins showed that she is going to be a player to watch for on the Mystics, as she was able to have a game-high 20 points on 6-of-17 shooting. Atkins now has 15 plus points in back-to-back games to open the season.
The 2022 WNBA season is going to be a lot more action packed for the Mystics, who have been preaching the fact that they are going to focus themselves on doing things in smaller increments and with deliberation.
Now the team travels back to Washington D.C. where they will now prepare for a home game on Tuesday against the Las Vegas Aces. The tip between the two teams is set for 7:00 p.m.
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