Mystics sink late free throws to seal victory over Reese, Sky

FAIRFAX, Va. — Thousands of small children were treated to an old-fashioned slugfest on Tuesday afternoon as the Washington Mystics defeated Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky, 81-79, thanks to a pair of late free throws by the home team’s Shakira Austin.

The children on hand for the Mystics’ annual Camp Day filled the 9,300-seat EagleBank Arena and diligently followed the instructions of the in-game host.

When he told them to scream, they did — loudly. Referees, coaches and reporters plugged their ears as the venue — twice as big as the Mystics’ normal home at CareFirst Arena in the District — echoed with screeching children.

“Bunch of kids watching kids,” said Austin, who scored a team-high 15 points.

At 24, she’s rapidly becoming a leader on the youngest team in the WNBA.

The on-court action resembled an old-school NBA matchup more than the high-powered, three-point shooting avalanches the younger fans might be more familiar with.

Austin ultimately sealed the victory for Washington not with a splashy three, but with a pair of fundamentally sound free throws following a hard-fought battle filled with fouls, turnovers and elbows.

The two teams combined to shoot an abysmal 10 of 34 from three-point range. The teams did their damage — on the scoreboard and to each other’s bodies — in the paint.

The physicality was immediately evident. Mystics rookie Kiki Iriafen, who was named an All-Star on Sunday, left the game before any points had been scored.

It appeared that the Baltimore native and one-time Maryland product Reese elbowed Iriafen in the head while contesting a rebound during the second possession of the game. The Mystics forward remained down as the Sky regained possession. The referees did not immediately pause the game.

Iriafen, escorted by trainers, walked straight to the locker room following the injury. She returned to the game with one minute left in the first quarter.

While Iriafen — the Mystics’ leading rebounder — was off the court, Reese went to work. She posted a first-half double-double, finishing with 22 points and 15 rebounds.

She routinely traded points — and trash talk — with Washington center Austin. Referees assessed the pair for matching technicals late in the first quarter. In the third, Reese left the court, making a talking motion with her hands after Austin drew a foul.

“We both like to talk a lot. We’re both from the DMV. That’s just something we do,” Austin said. “We compete. We like to show how passionate we are. Every time we go, it’s going to be a good show.”

“That was the PG version,” Mystics coach Sydney Johnson noted.

Washington took a slim lead into halftime and stretched it to 11 points midway through the third quarter. Then it fell apart. An 11-point Chicago run erased the deficit and set up a tight final frame.

With 35 seconds left, the game was tied — fitting for a matchup that was tied 14 times with 10 lead changes.

Austin drew a foul during a loose-ball scramble, giving her two shots at the line to potentially give Washington a lead. She missed them both but grabbed an offensive rebound and scored from the floor to give the Mystics a two-point lead with 21 seconds remaining.

“Definitely couldn’t hit my free throws today. I don’t know what was going on,” Austin said after converting just five of her 13 attempts from the line. “I was going to be very upset with myself if we didn’t close that win out.”

Reese drew a foul on the other end, converting both of her attempts from the charity stripe to knot the game at 79.

But Austin had the last laugh. With 2.8 seconds left, she drew another foul. This time, she didn’t miss.

The 2022 first-round pick converted both free throws to send the young crowd into a frenzy. The youngsters returned to their summer camps with gap-toothed smiles.

The Sky were left with a bitter taste in their mouth after questioning the legitimacy of the final foul call.

“I think two things can be true,” Chicago coach Tyler Marsh said. “We put ourselves in that position. But at the same time, the opportunity to have a chance at the end was robbed from us.”

For Johnson, the sloppy win was proof of progress. With a 9-10 record, the young squad sits on the fringe of the playoff picture almost halfway through the season.

“I’m looking at a younger group that is finding their way towards winning and executing in those last four minutes,” he said. “They’re starting to get more comfortable down the stretch, and it’s incredible growth.”

The Mystics return to EagleBank Arena on Thursday for a matchup with the Las Vegas Aces.