The Washington Mystics held off the Dallas Wings 81-75 on Friday night at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C., earning a hard-fought victory powered by a commanding performance from center Shakira Austin.
Austin was the story of the evening, finishing with a game-high 28 points and 10 rebounds to record a double-double that proved to be the difference between the two sides. Her interior presence gave Washington a reliable scoring anchor throughout the contest, and her rebounding helped limit Dallas’s second-chance opportunities on a night when the Wings struggled to find consistency from the field.
Sonia Citron added a steadying hand in the backcourt for the Mystics, distributing the ball effectively and finishing as Washington’s assists leader with five on the night. Her ability to create for teammates complemented Austin’s dominance in the paint and helped the Mystics maintain offensive flow when Dallas threatened to close the gap.
For the Wings, Paige Bueckers was the lone bright spot on an otherwise difficult offensive evening, pouring in 23 points to keep Dallas within striking distance. Despite her efforts, Bueckers could not generate enough support to overcome Washington’s interior advantage. Jessica Shepard was the most well-rounded contributor for Dallas, recording a team-high 8 assists to go along with 6 rebounds, giving the Wings their best facilitator on the floor. Still, Shepard’s playmaking wasn’t enough to compensate for Dallas’s collective shooting struggles.
The Wings’ shooting numbers told the story of why they fell short. Dallas connected on just 28 of 70 field goal attempts, a 40 percent clip that left too many possessions empty. From beyond the arc, the Wings were particularly cold, converting only 8 of 33 three-point attempts for a 24 percent mark — a figure that made it nearly impossible to keep pace with Washington’s more efficient offense. Dallas did find some success at the free-throw line, going 11-for-13 for an 85 percent conversion rate, but those points were not enough to offset the shooting deficiencies elsewhere.
Dallas finished with 32 total rebounds, including 6 on the offensive glass, and committed 7 total turnovers on the night. The Wings also recorded 7 blocks, showing some defensive resistance, but Washington’s ability to generate quality looks — led by Austin’s relentless work in the post — proved too much to contain over 40 minutes.
The six-point final margin reflected a competitive game that Dallas kept within reach largely on the strength of Bueckers’ scoring, but Washington’s superior efficiency and Austin’s dominant double-double ultimately sealed the outcome. The Mystics improve with the win at CareFirst Arena, while the Wings will need to address their three-point shooting struggles before their next outing.
