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Mystics vs. Dream preview: Washington looks to beat Atlanta in their first matchup of the season

Both teams are struggling this season...

Washington Mystics v Las Vegas Aces
Emma Meesseman and the Washington Mystics will look to get their momentum going once again with a win against the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday.
Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images

The Washington Mystics (3-7) are taking on the Atlanta Dream (2-9) for the first time this season.

Game Info

When: Wednesday, August 19 at 7 p.m. ET

Where: IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida

How to watch: NBC Sports Washington; CBS Sports Network; WNBA League Pass

Injury Report

Mystics: Natasha Cloud (Personal, Out); LaToya Sanders (Personal, Out); Tina Charles (Medical, Out); Elena Delle Donne (Back, Out); Aerial Powers (Hamstring, Out); Kiara Leslie (Questionable, Ankle)

Dream: Chennedy Carter (Ankle, Out); Tiffany Hayes (Personal, Out), Renee Montgomery (Personal, Out)

Game Notes:

Almost half-way into the 2020 season, the Mystics and the Dream are having rough seasons. Washington has its last 7 games while Atlanta is right behind having lost its last 8 games.

Atlanta suffered a major blow when Chennedy Carter injured her left ankle in the first three minutes of play against the Sun a week ago. The rookie will likely miss another week to recover and she will not be available for Wednesday’s game. Prior to her injury, Carter was having an incredible start of her WNBA career, averaging 17 points, 3.9 assists, and 2.4 rebounds per game. Even though she is sideline, she continues to lead the Dream in scoring. Now, the Mystics need to especially focus on containing Betnijah Laney, Elizabeth Williams and Courtney Williams, who are leading the Dream in scoring. Each are averaging double-figures.

In their last game against the Aces, which resulted in a loss, the Mystics were outscored in the first three quarters. They were only able to outscore the Aces in the fourth quarter by 4 points and by then it was too late. The Mystics need to hit the ground running if they want to beat Atlanta. Emma Messeman had a rough game, only scoring two points in her 32 minutes on the floor. Her contributions have certainly fluctuated this season and given how things are going so far for the Mystics, it’s hard to envision wins without Meeseeman dominating.

Hines-Allen is another player the Mystics are going to need in order to compete. The forward started this season off incredibly strong as she took advantage of her new opportunity. She’s had solid performances since then but Washington is going to need more than 9 or 10 points from her to increase their chances of winning. As the third leading scorer for the Mystics, she’s capable of doing that and more.

Given how their season is going, this is a winnable game for the Mystics.