MYSTICS NOTES

• The Washington Mystics (2-0) defeated the Las Vegas Aces (0-2), 75-70, Tuesday night at Capital One Arena. The Mystics went on a 17-5 run to end the third quarter, overcoming a 12-point deficit to tie the game at 44.
• Forward Elena Delle Donne recorded her first 20-point game and her first double-double of the season, tallying 23 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Mystics in both categories. Delle Donne shot 8-18 (.444) from the field, 1-5 (.200) from 3-point range and 6-7 (.857) from the free throw line. Delle Donne also led Washington with two blocks.
• Washington forward Tianna Hawkins tied a career high with 17 points (6/22/13 vs. Tulsa), shooting 6-10 (.600) from the field and 3-7 (.428) from beyond the arc. Hawkins also recorded seven rebounds and a steal.
• Mystics rookie guard Ariel Atkins, the seventh overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft, scored in double figures (15 points) in her second professional game, shooting 6-10 (.600) from the field and 3-6 (.500) from 3-point range.
• The Mystics outrebounded the Aces, 37-36, marking the second-straight game Washington has bested its opponent on the boards.
• Las Vegas led, 31-23, at halftime, despite 17 first half points from Delle Donne on 5-11 (.454) shooting and eight rebounds.
• The Mystics trailed the Aces, 15-9, after the first quarter. Delle Donne scored all nine points for Washington, shooting 2-7 (.285) from the field and 5-5 (1.000) from the free throw line. Delle Donne also grabbed five rebounds.
• Washington will take on the Indiana Fever (0-2) on May 24 at 7 p.m. at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Mystics next home game is Sunday, May 27 at 3 p.m. at Capital One Arena against the defending champion Minnesota Lynx.

MYSTICS HEAD COACH MIKE THIBAULT

On the game:

“I don’t even know where to start, except the team I kind of expected, showed up in the second half a little bit. We got a lot of work to do finding combinations that work. When they shoot the ball that badly, I looked down one time [and] we only had two players on our team that had scored a basket and we were a long ways into the game. To our players’ credit, as frustrated as they were at halftime, they kept playing. All we kept talking about every timeout is just keep getting some stops, and we will figure out a way to get our offense flowing a little bit. We got a lot of great contributions. Our bench, [Ariel] Atkins obviously was great, Tianna [Hawkins] was great, Tash [Natasha Cloud] was great, made some big plays at the end. Myisha [Hines-Allen] gave us a big lift, that’s what we are going to need when other people are struggling. I’m really proud of our young players. Kristi [Tolliver], Elena [Delle Donne] as veterans kind of kept us glued when we were struggling and that’s why they are the premier players that they are. We will take every win that we can get right now.”

On their defense down the stretch:

“Much better. I mean our ball pressure was better. They [Las Vegas Aces] are going to be a handful because they are big and long and they are going to add a couple of good players, but they’ve got length on offense boards and I thought down the stretch, we did a good job of keeping them from getting second shots even though we were giving size, I think that was a big part of our defense. It was make them take a tough shot and then don’t give them a second one. I thought that was a big key especially in the fourth quarter.”

On Ariel Atkins:

“She just keeps pressure on everybody. In the last couple plays of the game, we put her on Lindsay Allen to kind of bother her with her length, but she gets up and deflects balls, she gets pieces of it. She and Shatori [Walker-Kimbrough] have enough guard quickness and length to get in passing lanes. She’s disruptive. When we talked about it at draft day, for Ariel [Atkins], we felt she was a player that would be really good at both ends of the floor and we are seeing that right now. She made a couple of inexperienced plays tonight, tried to make a couple of homerun passes, but she’ll learn quick enough which of those plays she can make and which ones to just be a little more conservative.”

MYSTICS FORWARD TIANNA HAWKINS

On the difference between the first game of the season and tonight:

“I think in the first game we all had jitters. This game was a little different, of course. In the first half we were missing shots, but in the second half I think everyone came out and were confident in their shot. We just kept on shooting and they were going in.”

On the second half:

“I think it was just the spark that the bench brought in the second half. It was really huge in today’s game. We just got that spark and continued to build on it.”

On Elena Delle Donne and the depth of the team:

“That’s why Delle [Delle Donne] is great. When the team is struggling she’s able to put the team on her back and do what she does best – score the ball. I think in the second half we were able to take that pressure off of her a little bit. Ariel and I were able to come off the bench and give a little spark.”

MYSTICS FORWARD ELENA DELLE DONNE

On her first half performance and keeping the team afloat:

“They carried me against Indiana, so it was the least I could do to step up and hit a couple shots for them. It was one of those games where the ball wasn’t falling in the right direction. I think we let that effect our defense a little bit. Luckily, our bench came out and played amazing. Ariel [Atkins] came out and played like she’s been in the league for 15 years. Tianna [Hawkins] really started making shots, and [Natasha] Tash [Cloud] just completely changed the pace of the game. Our bench was huge tonight.”

On the bench:

“They’re awesome. In practice they challenge us, they’re just great. They can hit shots, they can change the pace of the game, they’ve got speed, size. They can do it all. They’ve been holding it down for us, so props to the bench mob.”

On the second half:

“In the locker room we left like we were in a really good place because we just couldn’t hit a single shot and we were only down eight at half. We knew if we could get stops and let our offense get into a good flow and get out into transition a little bit, we would be able to loosen up and hit shots.”

MYSTICS LEADERS:
Points: Elena Delle Donne – 23
Rebounds: Delle Donne – 11

Assists: Natasha Cloud – 5
Steals: Three players – 2

ACES HEAD COACH BILL LAIMBEER

On the difference between the first and second game this season:

“Shooting 40 percent is better than shooting 26 [percent] that we shot last game. We know we’re challenged a little bit to score – we don’t have the shooters [and] we’re missing some players. Our top four scorers from last year aren’t here, and we were the last-place team last year. Pretty challenging, however, I give our players all the effort credit. They played really hard today start to finish. [Against Connecticut] we let down in the second half, here we fought through it. We have to make shots and we have to make free throws.”

On what he learned about his team tonight:

“I thought the effort for 30 minutes was solid. I think that was really good. We know we can play defense, we know we can attack the basket, get to the free throw line – have to make the free throws – and we can rebound. Those are pretty good hallmarks of having a chance. Now, we have to put the ball in the basket. We’ll get [Kelsey] Plum and we’ll get [Kayla] McBride back this week. We have to integrate them, obviously, but that’s two of our top scorers.”

On A’ja Wilson:

“She’s learning. She hasn’t yet realized how big, strong and fast the players are in this league [and] also that the teams will set the defense for her, especially when we don’t have the shooters around. She’s going to have to learn these things. She’ll struggle from game-to-game in different aspects, but we keep talking to her about the little things you have to learn. You can’t wait, you have to attack right away. You can’t dribble into three people, they’re too big. You have to turn and shoot right away, that might be the best shot you’re going to get. All of the little things that she learns over the course of time will make her a better player.”

On the importance of Wilson facing a player like Elena Delle Donne:

“You have to guard everyone in the gym, eventually, and they have to guard her. Whether it’s Delle Donne, or it’s Sylvia Fowles some nights, some nights she’ll be switched out on [Diana] Taurasi and it’s no big deal. She’s very capable of guarding a lot of people.”

ACES FORWARD A’JA WILSON

On her first two games in the WNBA

“It is going. I am not too high on my highs, too low on my lows. It is a process. It is really is, and I know especially for me, I get down on myself a lot of times, and my teammates definitely lift me up so it is a process. All of our pieces are not here yet so it is kind of hard to dictate how or what we are seeing right now, but I think once we get the pieces back and once our chemistry starts going together you will see a different team.”

On what it means to have coaches’ confidence in her even during her struggles:

“It means a lot. It really does. I do not think he understands how much of an impact he has already made on me. It is tough. It really is a process. You hear people say it but when you are in it, it is really, really tough, but for him to always come over, pick me up, say simple things like do not doubt yourself, keep going, it really does lift my spirits up and also my teammates, they are telling me to keep pushing because they know I get down on myself, so just having a supporting cast like I do and a great franchise that I am in, it is a blessing.”

On what it was it was like to go against Elena Delle Donne:

“Your idols become your rivals. It is crazy. I remember going to see her play in Atlanta when she was in Chicago and now I am playing against her, I am defending her. It is something special. It is every girl’s dream to be in the WNBA, and you are playing against your idol. It is always good to compete against the best because that is what it takes to be the best. It was a tough night, of course we came out not the way we wanted to, but at the end of the day, we are going to take it and learn from it.”

ACES GUARD JAIME NARED

On A’ja Wilson:

“It’s a lot better – a lot easier being on the same team as her just because she’s such a dynamic player. She can shoot the ball from 15-to-17 feet, she can drive, she can post-up, she’s so versatile. Definitely seeing how her practice work ethic is, how she is in the games. It’s just fun learning and seeing how she’s able to play.”

On the importance of young players getting playing time:

“It’s definitely important, definitely as a rookie. The game is so much different than college. It’s a lot quicker, the players are faster, bigger, stronger. You have to think the game through [and] just compete. Those are the biggest things that I’ve noticed from college to now. Everyone is good. In college, you have a couple of players that are good here-and-there. Everybody is good, everybody is being paid to play this game. You just have to make sure that you try hard every single play. That’s the biggest thing that I’ve taken away. Obviously the game is quicker, but just making sure that I’m staying strong and staying in the weight room and just learning the first couple of games.”

ACES LEADERS:
Points: A’ja Wilson – 16
Rebounds: Wilson – 8

Assists: Lindsey Allen – 6
Steals: Tamera Young – 3