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The Washington Mystics (4-10) are facing the Connecticut Sun (6-9) Sunday afternoon.
Game Info
When: Sunday, August 30 at 4 p.m. ET
Where: IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida
How to watch: NBC Sports Washington; Twitter; 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); Stella Johnson (Ankle, Out)
Sun: Jonquel Jones (Personal, Out); Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (Back, Questionable); Bria Holmes (Achilles, Questionable)
Pregame notes
The Mystics and Sun are meeting for the second time this season. In their first matchup on Jul. 28, Washington pulled off a 94-89 win. Aerial Powers, who is now out for the season with a hamstring injury, led her team with a solid 27-point game. Myisha Hines-Allen and Ariel Atkins added 16 points each. For the Sun, DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas scored 29 and 28 points respectively. Even on the boards they were dominant, combing for 20.
Not having Aerial Powers in the matchup will make a big difference, especially as Stella Johnson is out with an ankle injury and Emma Meesseman, who missed three games with a shoulder injury before returning, only put up 3 points in her 26 minutes on the floor in the Mystics’ Friday night game against the Mercury. In her comeback game, Meesseman struggled offensively, going 1-10 from the field and 1-4 from beyond the arc. She might need some time to re-adjust and produce for the Mystics. This season the forward is averaging 12 points per game.
The Mystics need to focus defensively on containing Connecticut’s leaders DeWanna Bonner, Alyssa Thomas, Jasmine Thomas, and Brionna Jones who are all averaging in double-figured this season. If, even, two of Sun players go off for 20-plus points, it’s going to be a tougher game that it already will be for Washington as they deal with injuries.
In the Mystics’ last game, Leilani Mitchell scored a season-high 17 points and had five assists. The team will need her to build off that game as they face the Sun. Hines-Allen, Atkins, and Hawkins will also have to show up on the both ends of the court.
The Mystics need everyone they have to pull through.