The Washington Mystics survived a furious performance from Seattle’s Natisha Hiedeman on Sunday at CareFirst Arena, pulling out an 84-79 victory over the Storm to secure a hard-fought home win in the nation’s capital.
Shakira Austin was the engine that drove Washington’s offense, pouring in a game-high 27 points to lead all scorers and give the Mystics enough of a cushion to withstand Seattle’s persistent push. Kiki Iriafen was a force on the glass, hauling in 13 rebounds to anchor Washington’s interior presence, while Georgia Amoore distributed the ball effectively, finishing with a team-best 4 assists to keep the Mystics’ offense flowing.
Despite the final margin, the Storm refused to go quietly. Hiedeman put together a remarkable individual outing, leading Seattle with 31 points — the most by any player on either side — while also adding 3 assists to pace her team’s attack. Her scoring kept the Storm within striking distance throughout the contest, making Washington earn every point down the stretch. Dominique Malonga was a rebounding machine for Seattle, finishing with 15 boards to give the visitors a significant presence on the glass.
Indeed, Seattle’s rebounding numbers told a compelling story. The Storm finished with 43 total rebounds, including a striking 16 on the offensive end — a figure that gave them numerous second-chance opportunities. Yet despite those extra possessions, Seattle could not convert at a high enough rate to overtake the Mystics. The Storm shot just 43 percent from the field, connecting on 30 of 70 attempts, and struggled particularly from beyond the arc, where they converted only 5 of 19 three-point tries for a 26-percent clip.
Turnovers compounded Seattle’s shooting woes. The Storm committed 19 individual turnovers, with a total of 20 when team turnovers are included — a costly habit that repeatedly surrendered possessions and allowed Washington to maintain its lead. Even a solid 78-percent performance at the free-throw line, where Seattle went 14-for-18, could not fully compensate for the damage done by those miscues.
Defensively, the Storm were active, recording 12 steals and 4 blocks, and their 12 assists reflected a willingness to share the ball. But the combination of poor three-point shooting and a turnover total that reached 20 made it nearly impossible to close the gap against a Washington team that was disciplined enough to protect the ball and capitalize on Seattle’s mistakes.
Austin’s scoring leadership proved to be the difference. With Iriafen controlling the boards and Amoore facilitating the offense, the Mystics had enough balance to withstand Hiedeman’s one-woman assault and secure the five-point victory. The win gives Washington a meaningful result at home, while Seattle will need to address its turnover problems and three-point shooting struggles as the season continues.
