MYSTICS NOTES

• The Washington Mystics (5-3) were defeated, 88-64, by the Connecticut Sun (5-0) Sunday afternoon at Capital One Arena. For the first time in her career, rookie guard Ariel Atkins led Washington in scoring, totaling 14 points, 4-13 from the field, 2-6 from 3-point range and 4-4 from the free-throw line. Atkins has now scored 10+ points in five-straight games.
• 24 points is the Mystics largest margin of defeat of the season. The loss also marked Washington’s first home defeat of the season. The Mystics entered today’s game with wins over Indiana, Las Vegas and Minnesota at Capital One Arena.
• Mystics forwards Tianna Hawkins and Monique Currie each scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds. Hawkins has now scored in double figures in four-straight games.
• Washington set season lows in points (64) and field goal percentage (36.1).
• The Mystics outscored the Sun, 32-26, in the paint, finishing just four points shy of the team’s season high set on May 24, 2018 against Indiana.
• Washington trailed Connecticut, 49-35, at halftime. Atkins led the Mystics with eight points, six of which came from beyond the arc. Eight of the nine Mystics that saw the court in the first half registered points.

MYSTICS HEAD COACH MIKE THIBAULT

On the game:
“Basically, I don’t recognize the team that showed up for us today. Last Sunday, you saw a different team play against Minnesota. I thought for two of the games on the road we played really, really good basketball, and then Friday in Vegas and today, that was not good basketball in any shape or form. It’s embarrassing. We have a chance to regroup [and] get some days now to maybe practice this week and see if we can get ourselves going. Connecticut is playing the best basketball out of anybody in the league, and we knew that coming in. We made some mistakes early – part of it is on me for trying to play them a certain way. They made every shot and made us pay in the first quarter. We dug ourselves a hole, but for a bit of time in the second quarter, we played really good basketball. We got it to four [point lead] and then they go on a 12-2 run to end the half. That’s just not the way to play. I’m struggling to find the right combination of people to score and defend, to do both ends of the floor. It’s a struggle right now.”

On the difficulty of “playing small” against bigger lineups without Elena Delle Donne:
“It makes a big difference when you’re missing your best player who is an MVP-type player. That hurts us, but that can’t be the only reason we played like we did. Every team goes through that. We proved this past week – she didn’t play the second half of the Minnesota game, she didn’t play in Seattle or Phoenix, and we played great basketball. Something was missing today.”

On if fatigue is an issue for the team:
“It can be, but everybody is going to have stretches like this. You have to be mentally strong enough to fight through it. We didn’t fight through it today.”

On their struggle offensively today:
“Part of it is them making shots and we’re taking the ball out of the net. Part of it is that we had some turnovers. To start the game, we turned it over twice [and] we only had one shot in the first three possessions and it was a bad shot. That’s not a good recipe for starting. They’re making layups and threes and we’re missing the same shots. It’s a game where you only count it when it goes through the basket, and we have to do that a little more than 36 percent-wise.”

MYSTICS CENTER KRYSTAL THOMAS

On the team’s recent performances:
“It’s been a tough stretch, but it’s nothing that we didn’t know for a long time. It’s on us to be able to bounce back from this. We are here for a couple of days with games, so we got to regroup, refocus, and get back to what we were doing just a few days ago.”

On having both Jonquel Jones and Chiney Ogwumike on the floor at the same time without Elena Delle Donne:
“It is difficult. The past couple of games, the team’s we have played have played two post players together. It makes it difficult as the one big post, but no matter what, we have to continue to compete, continue to fight and find away. They have an advantage on one end, we have an advantage on the other and we have to exploit that.”

On her advice to the rookies and herself after a game like this:
“I just try to stay in their ear every day and let them know that this is a long season. There are highs and lows through out every single season, so you just have to take it one game at a time and learn from each one, learn from the wins, learn from the losses and continue to get better. Once the scouting report gets out and they find out your tendencies, you have to be able to combat that and continue to fight and get better.”

MYSTICS FORWARD MYISHA HINES-ALLEN

On her start this season:
“It’s just a learning experience. Every time I step out onto the court I feel like I learn something. Even if I’m sitting out, I learn something new. That’s basically what I’m going for.”

On what she learned in today’s game:
“Keep fighting, no matter if you’re down or up. You have to keep chipping away and give it your all.”

On what was off for the team today:
“I don’t know. I think maybe we didn’t get into our flow quick enough. We had spurts of great basketball. That’s what really stopped us because we had to keep playing hard for those 40 minutes, but we had spurts of it.”

SUN HEAD COACH CURT MILLER

On the 5-0 start:
“Exciting start for us. Proud of them. We talked about how important May was, so when we took care of business in that three-game homestead, now we needed to translate it on the road and all we have been talking about is toughness on the road. Obviously, without Delle Donne, their fourth game in six days, a little luck plays into this, and they lost their legs. They are a terrific shooting team and only went 3-21. Hopefully we did something to do with that, but caught them on a night, fourth game in six days, so that was very helpful, but kept them off the foul line, did not do a bad job defending them at the arc, so a huge road win against a really good team.”

On how they wanted to play against the Mystics:
“We wanted to play with tempo. Obviously we are on the road too, but we kept reminding them in that this is their fourth game in six days. Are they going to hit the wall? At the same time we tried to stick to our game plan, and make some of their great players play to some of their weaknesses. Again, they missed some shots, but hopefully we had something to do with some of those. I thought our defense really came to play. We did not back down. They are a tough team and we did not back down to the Curries and the Thomas’ and the [Tierra Ruffin Pratt’s] of the world. We competed with them and that is important because they are tough. They can really bully you.”

On Jasmine Thomas:
“Huge tonight. Obviously I did not think we were getting the points in the paint. We have dominated teams with points in the paint. That comes in a variety of ways. From transition, to drives, but also post and they did such a great job. We only had 10 points in the paint at halftime but the reason we were still winning was Jasmine’s play. She made a lot of outside jumpers, she spaced the floor, she got us playing the tempo, obviously she was the difference in the game tonight.”

SUN GUARD COURTNEY WILLIAMS

On the team’s chemistry:
“I think our chemistry is amazing. On and off the court we support each other and we want to see each other do well.”

On how they were able to take advantage of the Mystics’ schedule:
“I think the Mystics are a great team, so we can’t doubt anyone coming off of any type of games. Anybody can have a night. I think we just came in and followed our game plan.”

On their game plan tonight:
“Our game plan is always just staying aggressive and picking and choosing my spots. When it’s open, shoot the ball.”

SUN GUARD JASMINE THOMAS

On the good start to the season:
“It is really important because the last few seasons we had slow starts and it kind of bit us in the butt toward the end of the season, so taking it one game at a time, whether at home or on the road, trying to have a really good strong start is important to us.”

On her 25 points and what got her going:
“Maybe just my confidence. My teammates told me to take my shot confidently, and the last few games I have been struggling a little bit from the floor so just them first of all pushing me, and finding me, and they were going under on screens and I was looking for my shot.”

On despite having a good start to the season what are some areas in which they are looking to tighten up:
“I guess just those lapses especially today, we got a big lead but then in the 4th quarter they made a push at us and if we cannot maintain a lead then teams are going to start to think you know just stick with them and in the fourth quarter, you can come back, so staying strong all the way through till the last minute of the game.”