WASHINGTON (7News) — Following an overtime 104-102 victory against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, the Mystics continue their road trip against the Dallas Wings.
“We have an identity that we’re holding to; and it started in training camp… It started last year, to be honest,” Johnson told 7News.
Coach Johnson has praised his team for its toughness and ability to stay together.
The young group will have a competitive matchup against the Dallas Wings, who are coming off a loss against the Minnesota Lynx.
The Wings hold two back-to-back No. 1 draft picks from UConn in Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers.
It will be a tough battle for the front court as the Mystics will be challenged with 2025 co-defensive player of the year, Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard — two additions to the Dallas roster from the offseason.
Bueckers, the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year, is averaging 20 points and five assists per game.
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In their nail-biting battle against the Fever, the group was forced to stay poised in the stretch.
“No matter the score, we’ve seen a lot of those moments, and when we’re not that way, they’re going to hear my voice. and then we roll with it,” Johnson said following the victory against the Indiana Fever.
The team is finding its way between back-to-back close scoring games. Both Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen reached career-highs with 30 points and 25 points, respectively.
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Cote McMahon came off the bench, making an immediate impact with 13 points, five rebounds, and two assists in her WNBA debut.
“She is just the second player in Mystics history to finish with 10+ points and at least five rebounds in their debut outing, joining Nikki McCray’s June 11, 1998 performance at Charlotte,” according to the team.
“It’s a competitive group that trusts the confidence that they were taken from player development, from the film sessions and from being around each other and trying to put it in in in basketball games,” Johnson added.
The ball tips at 8 p.m., Eastern Time, at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.
