Opinion: the race for eighth and how the Washington Mystics can clinch

This is the final week of the WNBA regular season, and tonight, the Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream, and Chicago Sky will all play. These three teams all sit with a record of 13-25. However, the Mystics are still holding eighth. This is crucial as it’s the final spot in the playoffs, and it’s looking like it will be a down-to-the-wire race to obtain. What will Washington need to do to get some separation and clinch eighth place?

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The first battle: Washington Mystics vs. New York Liberty

This will most likely be a difficult task for the Mystics. The Liberty sit at the top of the table and have a strong shot of lifting the trophy this year as stars Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu push their team forward. Washington hasn’t beaten this team yet all season, but it has come close. New York hasn’t lost two games in a row since the start of the season, which makes it seem like the odds will not be in favor of Washington.

However, the Mystics still have the chance to win. They lost their last game against the Atlanta Dream in overtime, but one key thing happened during that loss. Every starter had 10+ points, something that hasn’t regularly happened for the Mystics all season. If they can pull this off again and play some strong defense, there is a slight chance they can win tonight.

Losing doesn’t mean they are out of the running, but if they do lose, they will fall from the eighth spot. This is due to the fact that the Sky and Dream face each other tonight, so at least one of them will move to 14-25. This could be the Mystic’s most critical game despite it not being the last.

The second battle: Washington Mystics vs. Indiana Fever

This game could be a much more winnable one for Washington and would be what seals the deal. The Fever has become formidable, and they do hold the winning record against the Mystics, but it’s not a perfect one. Washington had an 89-84 win against Indiana last time they faced. Even with Caitlin Clark having 29 points and Kelsey Mitchell having 15, they managed to get the job done. The rest of the Fever starters didn’t show up, and Washington’s lead scorer, Ariel Atkins, had an explosive 26-point night.

Washington will beat Indiana if they can pull off a strong defense. Let Clark and Mitchell put points on the board, but don’t lose to a crazy Lexie Hull 15+ point night. Atkins will have to be on her game, and hopefully, the bench will have another good game. Force Clark to turn over the ball and play suffocating defense on the supporting cast, and this is a very winnable game.

The Mystics could have a little luck

If Washington goes 1-1 this week, there is a good chance they will come out of this with the eighth-place spot clinched. The record between Washington and Atlanta is 2-2, so they won’t automatically get the winning record tiebreaker. However, the Mystics do have a 3-1 record against the Sky. If the Sky beat the Dream tonight and the Mystics lose, the Sky will take eighth. However, if the Sky lose their next game against the Connecticut Sun and the Washington Mystics beat the Fever, the Mystics will take eighth.

The Sky are on a three-game losing streak right now, and they have not had a good showing against the strong Sun team. Chances are they can’t beat the Sun and will possibly go 1-1 this last week. The Dream is also in some trouble as they face the New York Liberty in their last game of the week. No matter which one wins tonight, their last games will be extremely tough. Right now, it seems like the schedule will be favoring the Mystics to finish the year.

Article originally written by Elizabeth Della Piana