Mystics vs. Dream Game 5 final score: Washington wins 86-81, advances to first WNBA Finals

THEY DID IT! THE MYSTICS WON 86-81 AGAINST THE DREAM AND ARE GOING TO THEIR FIRST WNBA FINALS IN FRANCHISE HISTORY!

ARIEL ATKINS STEPPED UP ALL GAME AND SCORED 20! KRISTI TOLIVER WAS ON FIRE IN THE FIRST HALF AND ADDED 19. TIANNA HAWKINS SCORED 17 OFF THE BENCH!

AND ELENA DELLE DONNE SCORED 14 AND GRABBED 11 REBOUNDS! DID ANYONE THINK SHE WOULD BE PLAYING LAST WEEK? THANK YOU BASKETBALL GODS FOR BLESSING WASHINGTON D.C.!!!!

Phew! Sorry for the all caps writing but we just saw franchise history here!

EVERY WNBA TEAM NOW HAS A FINALS APPEARANCE TO ITS NAME! The Mystics are no longer “the worst WNBA franchise” in postseason performance. After all those years of being called the “MYSTAKES,” this semifinals series win made the suffering worth it.

The Mystics won the equivalent of an Eastern Conference championship each of the last two last years because they were the last Eastern team standing in the playoffs. It’s coincidental that Washington defeated an Eastern Conference team in the semifinals and the other semifinals series involves two Western Conference teams. But the bottom line is that the Mystics have now advanced farther than any other Eastern Conference team for two straight seasons.

But conference standings now have no bearing on a team’s playoff position which is why the WNBA Finals in each of the last two seasons featured the Lynx and Sparks of the Western Conference.

Sleep well D.C. We are FINALS BOUND!!!!!