On June 20, in a WNBA regular season game, the Washington Mystics fell to the Indiana Fever on the road with a score of 81-88, ending their two-game winning streak. Throughout the match, the Mystics fought hard as visitors. So far this season, they had enjoyed a long-awaited two-game winning run and were seeking a third consecutive victory. Despite staying neck-and-neck with the Fever, they couldn’t manage a comeback, mounting a 9-2 surge in the final quarter but failing to overtake their opponents. The game saw several ties, but the Fever displayed great tenacity. While the Fever’s offense was firing on all cylinders, the Mystics relied heavily on Atkins and Samuelson. Atkins scored 12 points in the first quarter and stepped up in crucial moments, though her efforts ultimately proved insufficient. She played 35 minutes and 4 seconds as a starter, shooting 10 out of 17, including 2 out of 8 from three-point range, and 5 out of 7 from the free-throw line, finishing with a team-high 27 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block, along with 3 turnovers and 3 fouls. Her plus-minus was -11, a vain effort. It’s worth noting that she has now scored the most points for the Mystics in three consecutive games, being instrumental in their recent wins. In the away win against the Dream, Atkins scored 18 points with 4 rebounds and 5 assists on 6 out of 10 shooting. In the narrow home victory against the Sky, she dropped 29 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists, making 9 out of 13 shots.
One hopes that after this loss, the Mystics won’t slide back into a losing streak, as a 10-game losing start to the season was undoubtedly challenging.