Mystics take big first step toward WNBA championship contention with playoff-clinching win over Fire

After a regime change, parting ways with their general manager, and drafting six first-round players over the last two years, the Washington Mystics will make the playoffs this season for the first time since 2023. They guaranteed it with their 105-100 road win over the Portland Fire on Sunday, as they’re now seven games ahead of the ninth-place Fire with seven regular-season contests left. They own the head-to-head tiebreaker 2-1, and Portland is the only team outside of playoff position to not be eliminated yet.

The Mystics partially won because of their 38-25 rebounding advantage, which has been a common theme this year. They lead the WNBA with 37.8 boards per game, led by center Shakira Austin (9.6) and power forward Kiki Iriafen (9.3). Those two rank third and fifth among all players, respectively.

Additionally, Washington shot 32-of-44 (73%) from the free-throw line, while Portland shot 15-of-15 (100%). That’s been another pattern, as the Mystics lead the league with 25.4 free throws attempted per game.

Finally, they outscored the Fire in the paint 48-42, another hallmark of their play style. They rank second in the WNBA with 42.8 points in the paint per game, 1.1 points behind the Atlanta Dream.

Those data points signal Washington’s size and strength, which helps them dominate inside on both ends. For example, Austin is 6-foot-5, Iriafen is 6-foot-3, and backup center Lauren Betts is 6-foot-7.

Minnesota Lynx superstar Olivia Miles complimented the Mystics’ physicality after her squad beat them 94-84 in the nation’s capital on Friday.

Olivia Miles on what makes the Mystics hard to face:

“They’re strong as hell. They are strong as hellll. I can’t say enough about how incredible [Natasha Howard] and [Nia Coffey] were in terms of dealing with that physicality. It was on [Courtney Williams], [Kayla McBride] and I… pic.twitter.com/IKdrFoZ9Le

— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) August 22, 2026

“They’re strong as hell. They are strong as hellll,” the rookie said when asked what makes Washington hard to face. “The physicality that they bring…and they have a ‘not caring’ sense about them. They’re the youngest team in the league; they know that. They just go and hoop; they don’t care who’s in front of them. If you’re the best or the worst, it doesn’t matter. They exert their physicality and dominance on you. It’s something I respect, and also something really challenging to get through, and makes them hard to play against.”

The Mystics outrebounded the Lynx 36-26 and outscored them 40-36 in the paint despite the loss, showing that they can bully even the league’s best team inside. Minnesota is 31-7, five games ahead of the Golden State Valkyries for the first seed.

Plus, Washington is not only the WNBA’s youngest team with an average age of 24.06 years, but the youngest playoff squad in history, per Elias Sports Bureau. Although they’ve still got room for growth as the seventh seed, they’re ahead of more than half of the league despite being in the second year of a rebuild.

Sonia Citron holds key to Mystics making deep playoff run in 2026

Austin now leads Washington with 17 points per game on 48.5% shooting (35.4% 3-point), but guard Sonia Citron is still its biggest threat offensively. The two-time All-Star is averaging 16.9 points on 47.4% shooting (31.6% 3-point) and a team-high 4.2 assists.

Citron is a three-level scorer despite her struggles from deep this season, as she converted 44.5% of her three-pointers on 4.1 average attempts as a rookie last year. The 22-year-old is averaging four attempts this season, but didn’t take any on Sunday and is 2-for-8 over the last three games.

However, head coach Sydney Johnson is not worried.

“You know, it’s just a matter of time,” he insisted after Washington beat the Los Angeles Sparks 80-70 at home on August 16. “She’s a lights-out shooter, shows it in our gym. She’s not immune to a little bit of a slump there shooting the ball, but she’s given us so much other stuff, and we know her three-point shot’s gonna come around. We’ve seen that the last few games.”

Citron went 4-for-5 from downtown in that game, 5-for-6 in the Mystics’ 95-75 win over the Phoenix Mercury on August 9, and 2-for-3 in their 79-74 win over the Dream on August 7.

Conversely, Citron’s also gone 1-for-4 from deep four times in August and went 1-for-6 in a 96-92 victory over the Dallas Wings on August 5. That’s not ideal on a team that’s 14th in the league with a 30.4% three-point clip, as forward Michaela Onyenwere is its only player shooting at least 35% on two-plus average attempts.

Washington needs more from the team as a whole, but Citron has the best chance to improve immediately based on her talent and track record. If the Notre Dame alum finds her rookie three-point form over the coming weeks, it will make the Mystics even harder to stop offensively.

Washington currently sits a half-game ahead of Dallas and a half-game behind the New York Liberty at 22-15. Up next are road matchups with the Mercury on Tuesday and Thursday, followed by another one with the Sparks on Friday to finish the month.

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