The Washington Mystics beat the Phoenix Mercury 95 to 75 in the WNBA on Sunday evening. By then the hosts had already moved clear of their visitors in the table. Washington sit fourth with twenty-four wins from forty games, while the visitors lie seventh after fourteen victories.
Here's the thing about the numbers — Washington won the rebound battle forty to thirty-three and turned the ball over eight times compared to sixteen for the visitors. They scored eighteen points off Phoenix mistakes and only gave up thirteen themselves. The visitors managed four fast break points while the hosts found fifteen.
Both teams hit eleven three-pointers from twenty-nine attempts, but Washington converted thirty-six of seventy-two field goals while Phoenix managed twenty-nine out of sixty-nine. The hosts scored forty-two points in the paint against thirty for the visitors. Washington also won the second-chance battle eleven to four.
Washington had won their last game against Atlanta Dream 79 to 74 before this one. The visitors lost 72 to 75 to the Connecticut Sun in their previous outing. Phoenix had beaten Chicago Sky 106 to 101 before that defeat.
The victory keeps Washington within touching distance of the top three while the gap widens for Phoenix. To be fair, the visitors still have games to play but the distance is growing. The hosts threw bodies in the way defensively and saw the result through comfortably.