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Takeaways: Washington Mystics run away from New York Liberty, 86-67

By Lindsay Gibbs

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 5: Natasha Cloud #9 of the Washington Mystics handles the ball against the New York Liberty on July 5, 2018 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE. (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 5: Natasha Cloud #9 of the Washington Mystics handles the ball against the New York Liberty on July 5, 2018 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE. (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The last time these two teams met, a whole nine days ago, the Washington Mystics (11-6) needed a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Elena Delle Donne in order to hold off the New York Liberty (5-13).

On Thursday in Washington, D.C., a second-half powerhouse performance from the Mystics made sure that no last-second heroics were needed, and they finished off the Liberty with a comfortable margin, 86-67.

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The Liberty came out of the gates with revenge on their minds, and at the end of the first quarter, they led 24-22, behind eight points by guard Epiphanny Prince. The second quarter was close throughout, and Mystics went into the halftime ahead by just one.

Then, the Mystics came out of the locker room with what head coach Mike Thibault said was “excellent” defense that deserved and “A Rating” — which, in three seasons of covering the team, is the highest praise I’ve ever heard him give his team on defense.

The Liberty simply didn’t have the offensive talent to hang with the Mystics. Sure, there are talented pieces — there are talented pieces everywhere you look in the WNBA — but the Liberty just don’t have enough elite pieces on offense or defense to keep up with the best players in the league. Honestly, just read boss man Howard Megdal’s piece on how the Liberty have failed to surround Tina Charles with the talent she needs, it will tell you all you need to know.

Charles, of course, had a remarkable outing, with a game-high 26 points and 12 rebounds. But no other Liberty player had five or more rebounds, and Prince, who scored 11 points on the night, was the only one of her teammates to score in double digits.

Meanwhile, four of the five Mystics starters scored in double digits: Elena Delle Donne (21 points,  two steals, three blocks), LaToya Sanders (14 points, seven rebounds), Kristi Toliver (11 points, four assists), and Natasha Cloud (10 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds). The fifth starter, Ariel Atkins, came just short of double digits, finishing the game with nine points. .

When this many Mystics players are making it rain, this squad is a threat to any team in the league.

Other takeaways: 

Natasha Cloud got the first double-double of her career. The fourth-year guard from Saint Joseph’s has always been important to the Mystics because of her speed, ball handling, size, and defense. But this year, her leadership, energy, and shot making have led her to the best season of her career and solidified her spot as the starting point guard. She’s averaging 7.8 points and 4.2 assists per game.

Not only was this the first double-double of her career, but she was three rebounds away from a triple double!

Thibault said he’s seen her gain confidence in recent weeks.

“She’s starting to get her shooting rhythm back,” Thibault said. “For a couple of weeks there it was a real struggle, she wasn’t making threes. She also has a better feel for her teammates, who needs the ball when, the timing of her passes has been so much better, and she’s attacking the rim, which draws the defense in, now she can make some of those passes. Earlier this year, she settled for some mid-range jumpshots, but if you attack the rim and make them close in on you, then you have passing angles all around the floor.”

Cloud said her improvements this season aren’t an accident.

“I worked my ass off,” she said about her offseason training. “This is my fourth season, so for me, the experience helps me. The game has slowed down tremendously for me so I’m able to make those next reads and those next strides as a point guard. But I really just got into the gym during the offseason and focused on getting my body to what I wanted to be, and focused on the mental aspect with our sport psych.”

Ariel Atkins is back, and everyone is relieved. The rookie from Texas was back in the starting lineup after missing two games last week with what she called a “mild concussion.”  Simply put, the Mystics are a better team when she is on the floor.

Her stat line says she had nine points, four assists, two rebounds, and one steal, but honestly, it felt like her impact was much greater. She is simply everywhere the ball is at all times. I know that doesn’t sound possible, and I agree that it isn’t, but watching Mystics’ games it certainly seems that way. If you don’t believe me, perhaps you’ll believe the next two individuals.

“She’s proven that she belongs out there, and the things she can do,” Thibault said. “She just makes things happen. She gets loose balls, she tips the ball, she has a knack for that, and it just energizes the team.”

Delle Donne particularly praised Atkins’ maturity and work ethic.

“She’s a great player. And her mindset is so mature. It’s beyond her years,” Delle Donne said. “After every practice, some of us will have showered, and I’ll be out the odor and hear the ball dribbling, and she’s out there getting extra work in. She’s out there ,and she has an awesome mentality. You know she’s always going to take the right shot, and plays excellent defense, she just does so much for us on both ends of the floor.”

Elena Delle Donne went more than two quarters without making a shot, from 2:17 left in the first to 1:21 left in the third. Still, she ended up with 21 points, including 11 points in the fourth quarter. She said that maturity, patience, and a focus on defense helped her stay mentally in the game during her lengthy dry spell.

Tianna Hawkins is the Bench Player of the Game. Have yourself a fourth quarter, Tianna. The Maryland grad played all 10 minutes in the fourth quarter and had six points, five rebounds, two steals, and a block during that time.

Overall, she had nine points, six rebounds, two steals, and two blocked shots in just 15 minutes. She was 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, and the speed and aggression she brought to the paint on defense was key, particularly on a night when Delle Donne only had three rebounds.

Thibault said it was Hawkins’ best game in the last couple of weeks, and it’s hard to disagree. Her energy and effort, particularly on the defensive end of the floor, allowed the team to keep accelerating to the finish line, instead of letting the Liberty creep back into the game.

Read this excellent piece by Ava Wallace of the Washington Post for more on how Hawkins has remade her body and her game this year.

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