Mystics at Storm Game 2 Preview: Washington looks to tie up the series

The Mystics face-off the Storm on the road for Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.

Game Info

When: Sunday, September 9 at 3:30 p.m. EST

Where: KeyArena

How to watch: ABC (national broadcast TV). In the D.C. area, it’s on WJLA-TV (Channel 7). The game is also streamable on WatchESPN.

Injuries: Elena Delle Donne (knee) and LaToya Sanders (hand) are hurt but expected to play for the Mystics. Sue Bird (nose) has a face mask but she’s still out there.

Pregame Notes

Ariel Atkins needs to stay out of foul trouble

Atkins, the leading scorer in Game 1, saw limited minutes in the first half after committing 2 fouls with 5:25 left play in the first quarter. It’s difficult not to have her in the game because she gives Washington a spark on both ends of the floor. If she wasn’t in foul trouble so early on, there’s no doubt that the Mystics wouldn’t have a 16 point deficit at halftime. The rookie led the Mystics in scoring in Game 1 of the Finals with 23 points, shooting 10-of-14 from the field.

The Mystics need to their limit turnovers

The Storm’s defense was stellar. In the first half alone, the Mystics had 8 turnovers compared to the 3 that Seattle had. Seattle was able to turn Mystics’ turnovers into several fast-break points adding to their lead early on in the game.

Know where Stewart, Loyd, and Howard are at all times

Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd, and Natasha Howard were the only players in double-figure for the Storm in Game 1 so the Mystics need to worry about containing the trio. Howard led in shooting percentage with an impressive 88.9% and Loyd followed with 75% from the field. If the Mystics don’t lock in on defense, we might see a repeat of what happened on Friday evening.

Don’t forget about Bird either!

Remember, she is still capable of exploding for 20 or 30 points any night with her lethal three point shot.