Mystics at Sun final score: Washington wins 95-91 despite blowing 30 point lead

The Mystics defeated the Connecticut Sun, 95-91 on Wednesday after Elena Delle Donne scored 36 points and Kristi Toliver added 25 more.

This game was a tale of two halves. If you watched just the first half of the game, you saw that the Mystics raced to a 30 point lead and were up 65-27. After a three game losing streak, this was the type of performance Washington needed to shrug the demons away. Delle Donne and Kristi Toliver combined for 42 points in the first two quarters.

But Connecticut managed to outscore the Mystics, 30-8 in the third quarter when Toliver especially couldn’t find a bucket for her life. They took over the lead in the fourth quarter when the Mystics continued to miss shot after shot. Delle Donne scored 10 straight points to get Washington back ahead.

And after a bit more back and forth play, Toliver made this long three to get Washington ahead for good with just a minute left.

This game was exciting to see if you were a neutral observer. If you’re a Mystics fan, the win is nice, but blowing a 30 point lead is also frustrating. Here are some quick takeaways from tonight.

Elena Delle Donne shows why she’s a superstar

Sometimes, you need a player who can score buckets when no one else seems to be able to. Tonight, we saw Delle Donne put up exactly the type of performance Mystics fans expect from a superstar. Delle Donne was hot in the first half. But more importantly, her 10 point outburst in the fourth quarter gave the Mystics the spark they needed to win this game when it seemed all but lost.

Courtney Williams is a true up and coming star

Though she is a starter, Williams is not the first name you think of when you mention the Connecticut Sun. But Williams scored 34 points on 15 of 29 shooting, including a 16 point showing in the third quarter when they made their comeback. Without Williams’ accomplishments, the Mystics would have won comfortably tonight.

Ariel Atkins hurts her wrist

The rookie wing has become a starter over the last few games but hurt her wrist in the second half. Considering that Tierra Ruffin-Pratt is still unreliable as a scoring option and that Tayler Hill is still not activated to play, Washington cannot afford to miss Atkins for very long.

Krystal Thomas has fallen out of the rotation. Completely.

The Mystics center did not play a single minute tonight. That’s troubling considering how well she played last summer in Washington and this past winter for Mersin in Turkey. She started the 2018 season as the Mystics’ starting center, but LaToya Sanders has now replaced Thomas.

Next Game

The Mystics host the Los Angeles Sparks at Capital One Arena on Friday, June 15 at 7 p.m. EST.