Kiki Iriafen recorded 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Shakira Austin contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds in the Washington Mystics’ 93-82 victory over the undermanned Toronto Tempo on Wednesday evening, marking their eighth consecutive win at home.
The defeat mathematically ruled out the Tempo (10-25) from the playoffs in their debut season.
Austin achieved her 16th double-double of the season, with Iriafen securing her 15th, as Washington dominated the boards against Toronto with a 43-27 rebounding advantage. Iriafen displayed accuracy, shooting 8 of 12 from the field.
For Washington (21-14), Michaela Onyenwere tallied 14 points, sinking four 3-pointers. Sonia Citron contributed 13 points and six assists. The Mystics scored 38 points in the paint, narrowly missing their 12th consecutive game with 40 or more points inside.
In the absence of Toronto’s top three scorers — Marina Mabrey, Brittney Sykes, and Nyara Sabally — resting during the second game of a back-to-back, Kiki Rice led the Tempo with 19 points. Aneesah Morrow added 13 points and eight rebounds as the expansion team suffered their 12th successive loss.
Washington kicked off the second quarter with a 12-0 run, building a 37-24 lead as Toronto missed their initial five shots. The Mystics dominated the second quarter, outscoring Toronto 22-9 to hold a 47-33 advantage at halftime.
Onyenwere’s consecutive three-pointers extended Washington’s lead to 60-42 midway through the third quarter.
Next Games:
– Tempo: Hosting Portland on Friday.
– Mystics: Playing against Minnesota at home on Friday.
