Kiki Iriafen recorded 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Shakira Austin contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Washington Mystics secured their eighth consecutive home win by defeating the undermanned Toronto Tempo with a score of 93-82 on Wednesday night. The defeat officially ended the Tempo’s playoff hopes in their debut season.
Austin achieved her 16th double-double of the season, and Iriafen marked her 15th, with Washington dominating the boards with a 43-27 rebounding advantage over Toronto. Iriafen displayed accuracy by shooting 8 of 12 from the field.
Michaela Onyenwere tallied 14 points, sinking four 3-pointers for Washington (21-14). Sonia Citron contributed 13 points and six assists. The Mystics scored 38 points in the paint, narrowly missing their 12th consecutive game with over 40 points in the paint.
In the absence of the Tempo’s top three scorers – Marina Mabrey, Brittney Sykes, and Nyara Sabally – resting during the second game of a back-to-back, Kiki Rice led Toronto with 19 points. Aneesah Morrow added 13 points and eight rebounds as the expansion team suffered their 12th consecutive loss.
Washington took control in the second quarter with a 12-0 run, establishing a 37-24 lead as Toronto struggled to find their scoring touch. The Mystics continued their dominance in the second quarter, outscoring Toronto 22-9 to head into halftime with a 47-33 lead.
Onyenwere extended Washington’s lead to 60-42 in the third quarter by sinking consecutive three-pointers.
Upcoming matchups include Tempo hosting Portland on Friday, while the Mystics will face Minnesota at home on the same day.