Postgame Notes & Quotes: Mystics Defeat Sparks In Thrilling Finish


MYSTICS NOTES 

  • The Washington Mystics (22-11) won their final home game of the regular season in a 69-67 buzzer beater over the Los Angeles Sparks (19-14).
  • Mystics guard Natasha Cloud made the 18’ step back shot with only .02 seconds remaining in the game to seal the victory.
  • With the win, Washington has tied its most win in a season (22). The last time the Mystics won 22 games was in 2010.
  • The Mystics have now won eight consecutive games with one game remaining on the road to face the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday. It is also the longest winning streak in team history.
  • The Mystics were led by forward Elena Delle Donne who led all scorers with 16 points along with 10 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season.
  • Guard Kristi Toliver added 12 points while center LaToya Sanders contributed 10.
  • Guard Aerial Powers posted a double-double, her first of the season,  adding 10 points and 10 rebounds coming from the bench
  • The Mystics were outscored by the Sparks 23-18 in the first quarter where the Sparks saw their largest lead of the game (+13)
  • The Sparks were up by as much as 11 in the third quarter, but the Mystics were able to chip away at the lead to bring the game to within four points (58-54)
  • The Mystics regained control in the fourth quarter, holding the Sparks to nine points. The score was tied at 67-67 from the 3:21 mark until the final buzzer
  • Four Sparks players scored in double figures led by guard Riquna Williams with 14 points. Center Candace Parker added 13 while forward Nneka Ogwumike and guard Chelsea Gray contributed 10 points a piece

 

MYSTICS LEADERS:
Points:
Elena Delle Donne – 16
Rebounds:
Delle Donne, Aerial Powers – 10

Assists: Natasha Cloud, Kristi Toliver – 5
Steals:
Tianna Hawkins, Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, LaToya Sanders, Toliver – 2

 

 MYSTICS QUOTES

Mystics Head Coach Mike Thibault 

On tonight’s game:

“Well, it felt like a playoff game. Two teams acted like a playoff game because nobody made shots with everybody hanging all over them. It wasn’t any fouls called either way. It’s not a lot of turnovers. It was just a hang in their kind of game. We kept burying ourselves and we kept fighting back. I thought we got a huge lift from our bench tonight. I thought that was the best our bench has played in a long time. WIth particularly, (Tierra Ruffin-) Pratt, Aerial Powers, and Tianna (Hawkins). They just did a terrific job tonight. They got the run started for us, I think both times. Our defense in the fourth quarter was as good as you can hope for in a game like that. To hold a team that good to nine points, we’ll take it.”

 

On Aerial Powers: 

“Well she’s physical, she gets rebounds, and she’s not afraid to mix it up. I was watching tape yesterday, I forget who we were playing. Maybe it was our Indiana game from the other night. She just has a timing about her get in the crowd. Now I wish she had called a timeout once or twice when she was trying to come down with the ball. She has a knack. When that group was in with all that size we had great rebounding other than that one turnover possession with about a minute to go. It seemed like it went forever. We just played good defense and then Tash (Natasha Cloud) couldn’t make a  shot the whole night then makes one at the end when it matters. I think she was just trying to channel Kristi Toliver in that regard.”

 

On which buzz beater from the season he likes more, Elena Delle Donne or Natasha Cloud: 

“They both felt great. they both felt pretty good. I don’t compare those kinds of things. They both felt great. Tonight, you know its big. It clinched third place for us. We’ll see what happened in the other game tonight but we’re giving ourselves chances to do what we want to do. That’s all you can ask for at this point is the opportunity to do some things.

 

Mystics Guard Natasha Cloud 

On her game winner:

My teammates put me in an extremely successful situation. They were confident in me even when I was not shooting well. Every time I came to the sideline, they were telling me to be confident, trusting the work that I put in the offseason, so means a lot to me that coach trusted me to put me in the last couple possessions there, that he has enough trust in me to take care of the ball and to turn things around. Just appreciative and glory to God.

 

On where her confidence has stemmed from:

It is a combination of this team right now. We are rolling. Everyone has a pretty high confidence in each other, as well as individually, and then the offseason work. I stayed home in the offseason for moments like this, for a season like this. Really just trusting in the process and the work I put in and my teammates having confidence in me, brings a lot of confidence in myself.

Mystics Forward Elena Delle Donne 

On their defense:

I think the greatest thing is we have been able to fall back on our defense and trust that we can get stops, and then when the time is right, anybody can knock down the big shots. It is huge to prove that it is not going to be pretty all the time, especially in playoffs, it is ugly a lot of times so you just have to be able to grit them out.

 

On their chances of still having the two seed:

Unfortunately we need some help from Atlanta for that to happen but all we can do is really control what we are doing now. We did our part tonight and then we have to do it again against Minnesota.

 

SPARKS QUOTES 

 

SPARKS HEAD COACH BRIAN AGLER

On the last play:

Natasha [Cloud] hit a big shot. Alana [Beard] had good defense on her, stayed right in the play, she just hit a tough shot.

 

On the intensity:

“Everybody is playing for something. It’s getting to the end of the season. Everybody is playing for seedings.”

 

On Natasha Cloud:

“She sorta has, she, I think has solidified the point guard position for Washington. I know they run Kristi [Tolliver] there some too, but she plays more of the point and they run Kristi off more of the two.”

 

SPARKS FORWARD CANDACE PARKER:

On what she saw on the last play:

“It didn’t come down to the last play. That game was far from the last play of the game. It was good defense. She hit a tough shot. Up until that point, I don’t know even know where she [Natasha Cloud] was from the field. It was good defense. I don’t think we saw her taking the shot, good move by them, I guess.

 

On what the game came down to:

“I think, defensively, giving up second chance points, I think ten of their first quarter points were off of offensive rebounds, our scoring drought that we had, we didn’t score for, I don’t know, how many possessions. I think that’s what it came down to.”

 

On the intensity:

“At this point in the season, we are fighting for position, so that’s what that was.”

 

On Natasha Cloud:

“She’s playing well for them. Washington is number three. She’s playing good basketball.”

 

SPARKS GUARD ALANA BEARD

On the intensity of the game:

“Obviously, there are important things on the table. We know what we have to play for in terms of positioning ourselves. It was a great game and both teams battled the entire game.”

 

On Natasha Cloud:

“She’s a big point guard. She does a great job of controlling the point and she understands the options around her. I think she is going to improve as she continues in this league. She’s also under a great coach in Thibault. You can see that he is going to continue to push her to be the best that she can.”

 

SPARKS LEADERS:
Points:
Riquna Williams – 14
Rebounds:
Jantel Lavender, Candace Parker – 8

Assists: Parker – 7
Steals:
Alana Beard – 2