The Mystics put the WNBA on notice after handing the Lynx just their second loss of the season in convincing fashion on Sunday, 87-63. They followed that impressive victory up with another complete performance in today’s 84-67 win against San Antonio. They have now won 7 out of their last 9 games and stand at 9-8 after an 0-3 start. For a team that has a .500 record exactly over the past three seasons (not including this year), these are signs that this may be a breakout year for them.

Much of their success can be attributed to the improved play of Emma Meesseman and Tayler Hill, who currently are tied for the highest scorers on the team at just over 15 points per game. Meesseman has seen her scoring average jump almost 4 points per game from last season, while Hill has seen her scoring skyrocket by almost 8 points per game. Washington is also an incredibly well-balanced team, with 9 players averaging at least 5 points per game and 17 minutes per game, making them a difficult team to gameplan for with contributors from top to bottom on their roster.

They have also been lethal from long-range, where they sit at third best in the league in 3-point FG% (36.2) and Meesseman is leading the league in 3-point percentage at 56% while Natasha Cloud is second at 50%. This has helped them improve their scoring average from 73.6 points per game to 82.0 this year.

The Mystics also have been very strong on the road at 5-2 but have gone just 4-6 at home. If they can improve their home record then a top 5 seed in the Playoffs should be a reasonable expectation.