Chicago, IL — The Chicago Sky snapped their eight-game losing streak with a dominant 78-64 win over the Washington Mystics on Tuesday night. Elizabeth Williams led the charge with a double-double performance of 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Kamilla Cardoso added 16 points and 13 boards.
Chicago (8-21) avoided a regular-season series sweep by Washington, which had defeated them six times in a row. The Sky also ended a five-game losing streak to the Mystics at home.
The Mystics (13-16) were first on the board with a layup from Shakira Austin, but Chicago quickly seized control, ripping off a 14-0 run that gave them the lead for good. Cardoso dominated early, registering 12 points and 10 rebounds in the first half. Her buzzer-beater layup at the end of the second quarter gave the Sky a comfortable 35-28 lead heading into the break. From there, Washington never came closer than that.
Sonia Citron was the leading scorer for the Mystics with 13 points, while Kiki Iriafen added 10. Washington has now dropped three consecutive games and six of their last eight.
The Sky were without Angel Reese (back) and Hailey Van Lith (ankle), but they saw a big boost from Ariel Atkins, who returned after a seven-game absence due to a leg injury. Atkins finished with 15 points and five assists in her return. Michaela Onyenwere chipped in 12 points to help the Sky secure the win.
In a surprising move, the Mystics traded Brittney Sykes—who leads the team in scoring (15.4 PPG), assists (4.4 APG), and steals (1.24 SPG)—to Seattle earlier in the day. In return, Washington received Alysha Clark, Zia Cooke, and a 2026 first-round pick.
Chicago shot a season-high 54% from the field, hitting 34 of their 63 attempts. They also dished out 22 assists and led by as many as 19 points. The Mystics struggled mightily from beyond the arc, shooting just 2-of-15 (13%) from three-point range. They also struggled from the free-throw line, making only 8-of-15 (53%).
Washington will try to bounce back on Friday when they take on Minnesota in the second of four straight road games. Meanwhile, Chicago will look to build on this momentum when they host Atlanta on Thursday.
