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The Washington Mystics took the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings after a 102-59 beat down on the Connecticut Sun on Saturday afternoon.
“Everything you could ask for in a game we did that today,” Mystics’ Head Coach Mike Thibault said. “We shared the basketball, we had a lot of assists, we shot the ball well and our bench played great.”
The Mystics, who lost their last two matchups against the Sun, dominated on both ends of the court. Washington never allowed the Sun to take a lead, as the Mystics were up by as much as 47 points.
The Mystics had six players to score in double figures while shooting 53 percent from the floor.
Mystics’ forward Elena Delle Donne posted a double-double, 19 points and 10 rebounds. Kristi Toliver finished with 14 points and five assists while Ariel Atkins scored 15 points on 6-13 shooting.
The Mystics received strong production from their bench. Tianna Hawkins, Aerial Powers and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough combined to score 36 points off the bench.
“We were extremely motivated after losing to [Connecticut] twice,” Toliver said. “We knew were better than that so, we owed them one.”
Washington was moving the ball well, registering 23 assists. The Mystics gave the Sun problems from the three-point line, shooting 43.3 percent.
The Mystics’ defense held the Sun to 30 percent shooting. Center Jonquel Jones was the only Sun player to score in double figures, registering 15 points and seven rebounds. Alyssa Thomas was held to four points while guard Jasmine Thomas scored six points.
“We frustrated [Connecticut] with our defense,” Thibault said. “That’s been the goal over the last two weeks. Our team has committed themselves to the defensive end of the floor and that’s what we did.”
The Mystics, who have won five straight games, will be on the road for the next two games, as they will face the Las Vegas Aces and the Los Angeles Sparks.
Inside The Locker Room 