The Washington Mystics find themselves on the outside looking in on a WNBA playoff spot and the road to postseason basketball won't be getting any easier as they welcome the league-leading Connecticut Sun to the Entertainment & Sports Arena.
The Mystics find themselves in ninth place following their 76-75 victory over the Dallas Wings on Saturday night as the season winds down. They're on the doorstep of snatching one of the final playoff spots but will need to come away with a victory over the first-place Sun.
Washington (10-15) is percentage points behind the New York Liberty (11-16, .407 winning percentage) for the final playoff spot, but does have two games in hand with seven to pay.
MYSTICS vs. SUN HOW TO WATCH
What: Washington Mystics vs. Connecticut Sun
Where: Entertainment & Sports Arena, Washington D.C.
When: Tuesday, Aug. 31st, 7:00 p.m. ET
WNBA
TV Channel: Mystics vs. Sun will be broadcast on NBC Sports Washington (channel finder)
Live Stream: You can live stream Mystics vs. Sun on NBC Sports Washington's live stream page and on the NBC Sports App.
MYSTICS vs. SUN WHAT TO WATCH
Injuries have colored the Mystics' entire season and that continued this week. Star forward Elena Delle Donne, a two-time MVP, has had her long-awaited return to the court cut short after just three games. She left Thursday's loss to Dallas early, did not play Saturday against the Wings in the rematch and her status vs. the Sun is unclear. Washington will definitely be without center Tina Charles, herself a former WNBA MVP and recent Olympic gold-medalist. Charles has a hip injury and will be out through at least Sept. 7.
Connecticut is coming into the game riding a six-game winning streak with its last loss coming against the Seattle Storm on August 12. As the season reaches its final few weeks, the Sun have picked the right time to get hot. Connecticut is just one game ahead of the Las Vegas Aces (19-7) for the WNBA's best record with the defending champion Storm (18-9) still lurking behind them.
MYSTICS vs. SUN PLAYERS TO WATCH
Myisha Hines-Allen (13.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.3 apg): Hines-Allen has taken a dip in her production from her 2020 WNBA Most Improved Player runner-up season. However, over the last three games, she's mirroring the point production that she had last season. If the Mystics want to snap the Sun's winning streak, they'll need her to continue this type of production. Hines-Allen averaged 17 points and 8.9 rebounds as a 24-year-old in the 2020 season. She has been one of the driving forces for Washington on the ongoing homestand with 16.7 points per game in these last three games.
Jonquel Jones (19.8 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 2.8 apg): Jones is experiencing a career-high in points and assists this season, and no one would know that she took 2020 off. The 27-year-old is also fourth in the WNBA when it comes to scoring. This production is one of the main reasons the Sun sits atop the standings and is the first team in 2021 to crack the 20 win mark.