The Washington Mystics saw their season come to an end Tuesday night with a gutwrenching overtime loss to the New York Liberty. The Mystics got within one point in overtime during the Game 2 defeat but didn’t lead in the final four minutes of overtime.
It’s the thrid straight time the Mystics have made the playoffs only to bow out in the first round. They have not won a playoff series since winning the WNBA championship in 2019.
There was a particular moment late in regulation that could have ended the game had it gone the other way. Sabrina Ionescu missed two free throws with the Mystics leading by two. Jonquel Jones snatched the rebound and was immediately fouled, sinking both free throws to tie the game for the Libertyand send it to an extra period.
“You all saw it, we felt it, Jonquel’s a phenomenal rebounder, she’s really hard to keep off the glass,” Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne said, via Associated Press. “She’s going to go at that point. We couldn’t pinch her quite right. Those moments are certainly heartbreaking.”
Delle Donne struggled on the night, finishing with 11 points and four rebounds. Natasha Cloud paced the Mystics with a career-high 33 points. Jones had a double-double for the Liberty, who advance to the second round for the first time since 2015. They’ll face either the Connecticut Sun or the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA semifinals.
The Mystics have some question marks in their imminent future, including that of the future of Elena Delle Donne, who is set to become a free agent.