Family that is a word that is used when it comes time for describing the Washington Mystics (15-16) the franchise and the players within have been through ups and downs, seeing milestone moments for those that are on the roster, seeing some of the fan favorites fall to the court and rise back up again.
Family, and well the Mystics are having themselves a bit of a family reunion as they saw the return of Ariel Atkins and Elena Delle Donne to the basketball court in the game against Indiana.
In that game the Mystics won their second in a row, a close 83-79 decision against the Indiana Fever (8-24).
Now is the tricky part for the ladies, as they give their teammates the ‘grace’ and space to get back to MVP form.
Thus far the first to return from injury in Shakira Austin is starting to regain her confidence, and the first minutes for both Atkins and Dell Donne are positive ones. In their return to the team Atkins and Delle Donne each posted six points and a steal, with Delle Donne adding two rebounds and a block while going 3-3 from the free-throw line.
Delle Donne has now extended her made free-throws streak to 43 consecutive makes dating back to June 2.
Fans are encouraged to check out the following video as Head Coach Eric Thibault, Brittney Sykes, Shakira Austin and Natasha Cloud share these thoughts after the team’s victory against Indiana…..video is compliments of the Washington Mystics:
With the full Mystics roster making their way back to the floor and the team in playoff contention, it should be an exciting rest of the 2023 WNBA season for those fans of the franchise. Once the playoffs begin the season gets a reset and well this Mystics team is going to be one to watch.
Especially they have players that have been hopping it as of late, including Brittney Sykes aka Slim, as she has been playing on another level as of late.
‘Slim’ tied a season-high of 30 points against Indiana in leading the team in scoring, while shooting 11-19 from the field, along with hitting a career-high in threes.
Sykes is on a roll as she has scored 30+ points in back-to-back games and becomes the fifth player this season to score 30+ in back-to-back games and only the third player in the team’s history to achieve this feat.
Also impressing in the game against Indiana is Natasha Cloud as she scored 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal. Cloud is close to a milestone moment, as she is one three-pointer away from Alana Beard for third on the Mystics all-time three-pointers made list.
There are going to be some steps that are going to be upcoming for this Washington Mystics team, but for now the ladies are going to focus themselves on returning to the Washington D.C. Area and playing host to the Dallas Wings on Sunday and the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday.
For more information on the Washington Mystics fans are encouraged to click on the link seen here: