Valkyries Come All the Way Back to Claim #2 on the Final Night

Washington took care of its part first. The Mystics beat Chicago 101-93 to finish 28-16, setting a franchise record for victories and putting Indiana in a must-win position to keep the #5 seed. Washington led by 18 at halftime and eventually by 25 before Chicago made the final score respectable with a furious fourth quarter. Sonia Citron scored 21, Kiki Iriafen finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds, and the Mystics completed a three-game season sweep of the Sky.

Indiana’s answer never came. Minnesota, already locked into the #1 seed and playing without Olivia Miles, hit the Fever with a 32-13 first quarter and a 62-32 halftime lead on the way to an 86-66 demolition. Kayla McBride scored 22 with six threes and Natasha Howard had 21 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, while the Lynx piled up 28 assists and made 15 threes. Caitlin Clark endured the roughest shooting night of her career, finishing with two points on 1-of-12 shooting and missing all seven of her attempts from deep. Indiana shot 34 percent as a team and fell to #6, handing Washington the fifth seed.