Washington, DC— Brittney Sykes poured in 19 of her 22 points after halftime, and rookie Sonia Citron added 15 of her 19 in the second half to lead the Washington Mystics to a 94-90 victory over the Atlanta Dream in the season opener for both teams on Friday night.
It was a successful head coaching debut for Sydney Johnson, who previously led men’s programs at Princeton and Fairfield and spent last season as an assistant with the Chicago Sky.
Sykes played a pivotal role down the stretch, converting a driving layup with 27 seconds remaining to give Washington the edge. She then stole the ensuing inbounds pass and fed Citron, who sank two clutch free throws with 17.1 seconds left to seal the win.
Kiki Iriafen, the No. 4 overall pick in last month’s draft, fouled out late but finished with 14 points for the Mystics. Sug Sutton chipped in 13 points, and Jade Melbourne added 11.
Atlanta’s Allisha Gray, who had struggled with her shot in the preseason, matched her career best with six made 3-pointers and totaled 25 points. Brittney Griner, making her Dream debut, scored 11 of her 18 points in the final minutes, while Brionna Jones notched a double-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Rhyne Howard contributed 11 points and six assists.
Griner and Jones, both high-profile offseason acquisitions, joined Atlanta in free agency as part of a revamped roster under new head coach Karl Smesko, who arrives after building Florida Gulf Coast into a perennial winner with 15 straight 25-win seasons.
The Mystics were without three key players: rookie guard Georgia Amoore, the No. 6 pick in the draft, who is out for the year with an ACL injury, Aaliyah Edwards (back), and Shakira Austin (right leg). Jordin Canada (knee) did not suit up for Atlanta.
Looking Ahead:
Atlanta travels to face the Indiana Fever on Tuesday in their home opener, while Washington begins a four-game road swing Sunday at Connecticut.
