Arlington, TX. – The Washington Mystics used a late-game push Tuesday to pull away from the Dallas Wings, 101-89.
Elena Delle Donne led the visitors to their fifth consecutive win with 23 points, six rebounds and three blocks. She characterized the game as “not pretty,” but she said she was glad the team got the win on the road.
“We felt like if we could push our tempo and get drag screens in transition,” Delle Donne said. “We were in a good position to cause some mismatches and confuse them a little with those pick-and-rolls.”
Washington had four other players in double figures, including Kristi Toliver and Tayler Hill, who each had 17. Krystal Thomas and Ivory Latta added 10 a piece.
For every Wings run, the Mystics had an answer. Dallas ended the half down eight points. The momentum began to shift toward Dallas in the middle of the third, but the Wings began to miss switches on defense and the Mystics made them pay. Dallas coach Fred Williams said the Mystics clogged up the lanes for the team tonight.
“They made some big shots. They were aggressively defensively, getting in our space,” Williams said.
Dallas was led by Skylar Diggins-Smith with 23 points and Glory Johnson with 19 points and eight rebounds. The Wings have been without their rim protector, Courtney Paris, who could be out another month while rehabbing a knee injury.
Dallas has now lost three games in a row, and the road does not get easier as they complete their three-game home stand with match ups against the Los Angles Sparks on June 9 and the Minnesota Lynx June 11. Williams said he just wants the group to go out, get better and compete.
“That’s the main thing, night in and night out,” Williams said. “The game plan for us is just to be a little quicker and faster with what we’ve been working on. Defensively, you have to lock it up and be in tune.”