By Zoey
The Washington Mystics are beginning to reap the rewards of patience and persistence after overcoming a difficult start to the season, putting together an impressive three-game road winning streak that has boosted confidence within one of the youngest teams in WNBA history.
Washington’s recent surge has featured victories over three quality opponents, including statement wins against the defending champion New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx before closing the trip with another victory over the Connecticut Sun.
The stretch marked the Mystics’ first three-game road winning streak since the 2024 season and highlighted the steady progress the rebuilding franchise has made over the past several weeks.
Forward Kiki Iriafen has emerged as one of the team’s clutch performers during the winning run, delivering the go-ahead baskets in victories over both New York and Minnesota.
Reflecting on the team’s development, Iriafen said the Mystics always understood that success would not come overnight, particularly with a roster filled with young players still learning to compete together at the professional level.
“I think it takes time to get to where you want to go,” Iriafen said. “That’s something that our coaches have stressed to us. The first month of May was kind of hard with back-to-back losses, and even this month we had some difficult moments. But our coaches kept reminding us that playoff-contending teams aren’t built in May.”
Washington’s recent performances suggest those lessons are beginning to take hold. Earlier in the season, the Mystics frequently struggled to close out tight games, but their victories over the Liberty and Lynx demonstrated a growing confidence in late-game situations.
The road win over New York was particularly significant, ending a 10-game regular-season losing streak against one of the league’s premier franchises. The Mystics then followed that breakthrough by defeating Minnesota, another championship contender, showing they can compete against the WNBA’s elite teams.
Iriafen believes much of the improvement has come from increased chemistry and familiarity among teammates as the season has progressed.
“You just want to get better each and every month,” she said. “We try to look at the season month by month instead of focusing on how many games we’ve lost or how many are left. I think it’s just a comfortability. We’re all getting more comfortable with each other.”
Head coach Sydney Johnson has consistently emphasized development over immediate results, recognizing the unique challenge of guiding one of the youngest rosters ever assembled in the league.
Johnson said the coaching staff understood from the beginning that the team’s youth would create a learning curve, but he also believed the roster possessed a competitive mentality developed through successful college careers and winning basketball programs.
“I think it’s a combination of understanding that we were fielding one of the youngest teams in the history of the league while also having really competitive players from winning programs,” Johnson said. “We also know that it’s really, really hard to win in this league. We’ve learned some tough lessons, and we’re taking what we’ve learned and transferring it into future performances.”
The Mystics have shown noticeable improvement on both ends of the floor during their winning streak, displaying greater composure in pressure situations while executing more efficiently during the closing minutes of games.
Washington now returns home with renewed confidence as it prepares for another meeting with the Minnesota Lynx on Wednesday, giving the Mystics an opportunity to continue building momentum against one of the WNBA’s top contenders.
The team’s recent success has also been reflected in this week’s league power rankings. Las Vegas and Minnesota share the top spot, followed by Atlanta and New York. Dallas ranks fifth, while Golden State sits sixth. Washington climbed four places to seventh after its undefeated week, ahead of Indiana, Los Angeles and Portland. Toronto, Phoenix and Chicago follow, with Seattle and Connecticut rounding out the rankings.
Washington’s impressive week was fueled in large part by standout performances from rookie guard Sonia Citron, who earned Player of the Week honors after leading the Mystics on both ends of the court.
Citron averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists across Washington’s three victories, continuing an outstanding rookie campaign that has established her as one of the league’s brightest young stars.
Several other players also received consideration for the weekly award, including Minnesota’s Olivia Miles, Atlanta’s Jordin Canada, Dallas forward Jessica Shepard and Toronto guard Marina Mabrey.
Attention across the WNBA now turns to one of the week’s marquee matchups as the New York Liberty travel to face the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday in the teams’ first meeting of the season.
The contest carries added significance with another showdown between the clubs scheduled for June 30, when they will compete for the Commissioner’s Cup championship in New York.
The Liberty enter the matchup looking to rebound after suffering consecutive defeats in which they squandered fourth-quarter leads, while the Aces will attempt to build on the momentum generated by an emphatic victory over the Golden State Valkyries.
As for Washington, the Mystics appear to be turning early-season growing pains into valuable experience. With a young core gaining confidence and learning how to finish games against elite competition, the franchise is beginning to show the characteristics of a team capable of making significant progress as the season continues.