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The Washington Mystics took the doubts from everyone and dominated the floor over the Indiana Fever, 101-76. Myisha Hines-Allen, who averaged a little over two minutes a game last season, played 29 minutes scoring a double-double with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Her 27 points were a career-high and game-high for the third-year veteran, 22 coming in the first half.
The best of Myisha Hines-Allen in the @WashMystics win! #WatchMeWork pic.twitter.com/t5ktgcspdA
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 25, 2020
Not fully knowing who would be our starters or even what to expect was definitely the feels of this game on Sunday evening. Washington began the game with Leilani Mitchell, Ariel Atkins, Aerial Powers, Hines-Allen and Emma Meesseman at the five. The Mystics could’ve possibly had first game jitters as they got into foul trouble early and tried to find and keep their rhythm.
The Fever were down in the first quarter but managed to fight their way back, but the Mystics weren’t having it as once they took the lead for a second time the score just went up from there. Washington ended the first quarter 37-25 then the first half 62-35 only allowing the Fever to score 10 points in the second quarter.
As mentioned before Hines-Allen score 22 of her 27 points in the first half. Washington as a whole shot 72.2 percent in the first half, including 71.4 percent from three-point. The Fever had no answers for no one on the Mystics’ squad.
Hines-Allen wasn’t the only starter in double figures as Powers had 16 points, Meesseman with 14 and Atkins with 10. The reserves came through as well combining for 29 points led by verteran Shey Peddy. Kiara Leslie who sat out last season due to a knee injury, made it to the floor scoring seven points and one block. See her first bucket of the season.
F1RST BUCKET FOR K1ARA & WE'RE READY FOR MORE#TogetherDC pic.twitter.com/S4S7Wkl4R1
— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) July 25, 2020
For Washington who is now 1-0, this win and every win means a lot since there’s only 22 games this season with the top eight teams making the playoffs. And although the Indiana Fever lost, their new head coach Marianne Stanley, former assistant coach for Washington, is still a winner at heart and hopefully can bring that to her new team, but first she had to get the championship ring she deserved from last season.
C NGRATS, COACH STANLEY!!
— Washington Mystics (@WashMystics) July 25, 2020
Now, it's game time! pic.twitter.com/5t0RsSc3RO
The Mystics’ next game is on Tuesday July 28th at 7 p.m. ET against the Connecticut Sun.