The Mystics Filed the Opening Report

Washington shot 59% from the field in the first half and led Phoenix 51-33 at halftime. Sonia Citron scored 19 points and handed out nine assists, while Kiki Iriafen added 18 points and 10 rebounds.

The Mystics made the first half look like an orderly committee meeting. Phoenix arrived with championship standards and discovered that the paperwork had already been approved.

Washington also built a 64-44 largest lead. Shakira Austin scored 16, and Michaela Onyenwere and Lauren Betts each added 10. The Mystics did not need one spectacular burst; they kept stacking useful possessions until the Mercury were looking at a 20-point problem.

Phoenix Found a Late Pulse

Natasha Mack and Kahleah Copper each scored 19 for Phoenix. Alyssa Thomas added 16 points and 10 assists, and Kelsey Plum scored 10 in 17 minutes in her first game since Aug. 9.

The Mercury won the fourth quarter 24-17. That earns Washington an F in Fourth-Quarter Competence, because the final frame belonged to Phoenix and the Mystics’ offense lost some of its early authority.

But late improvement is not the same as a comeback. Phoenix never erased the double-digit second-half deficit. Its 3-for-17 night from three-point range kept turning promising possessions into long walks back on defense.

The Margin Was the Message

Washington finished with 35 field goals to Phoenix’s 33 and made nine threes to Phoenix’s three. The Mystics also had 21 assists, spreading the responsibility that made the early lead so durable.

Phoenix’s veteran shot-making created a more respectable ending, but it never changed who controlled the game. Washington had already moved the argument from “who will win?” to “can the Mercury make this look less official?”

The Desk Has Ruled

Desk ruling: Washington’s first half did the real work. The F is deserved for losing the fourth quarter by seven, but the Mystics made the deficit so large that Phoenix’s late response could only improve the score line’s manners.

This was the capital-city committee at its best: establish the policy early, survive the objections, and leave the room with the decision already entered into the record.