Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) rushes up the court Friday, July 12, 2024, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Indiana Fever defeated the Phoenix Mercury, 95-86. The Washington Mystics needed a win and some help in Thursday’s regular-season finale to make the playoffs.
Washington took care of business, rallying past the visiting Indiana Fever for a wild 92-91 win in front of 20,711 fans — the largest crowd in WNBA history — at Capital One Arena.
However, the help never came.
The Chicago Sky’s 87-54 loss at the Connecticut Sun secured the eighth and final playoff spot for the Atlanta Dream, whom the Mystics (14-26) trailed by one game entering Thursday.
Chicago’s loss was moot, as Atlanta (15-25) won 78-67 at the New York Liberty.
Washington needed a win, a Dream loss and a Sky win to secure a playoff berth.
The Mystics nonetheless capped their season with perhaps their most impressive win.
Washington trailed 20-2 midway through the first quarter before storming back to tie the game 24-24 early in the second.
Ariel Atkins scored 11 points in the second quarter to propel the Mystics ahead 52-45 at halftime.
Sika Kone finished with game highs of 20 points and seven rebounds off the bench for Washington, which led by as many as 17 in the second half before Indiana ignited a 22-8 run to pull within a point in the final minute.
Katie Lou Samuelson and Grace Berger both missed jumpers in the final eight seconds for the Fever.
Atkins and Emily Engstler both finished with 17 points for the Mystics, while Brittney Sykes and reserve Shatori Walker-Kimbrough added 12 points apiece.
Kristy Wallace scored 17 off the bench to lead Indiana (20-20), which entered Thursday locked as the No. 6 seed.
The Fever, making their first playoff appearance since 2016, will face the Sun in the best-of-three first round.
Indiana rookie Caitlin Clark bundled eight points with five rebounds and eight assists. Aliyah Boston and Samuelson finished with 10 points each, and NaLyssa Smith chipped in 16 points and five rebounds.
The Fever dominated the early minutes of the first quarter, with Clark hitting a long 3-pointer to open up an 11-0 lead 2:55 into the game.
Smith’s layup ballooned the lead to 20-2 at the 4:38 mark before Washington stormed back to pull within 24-22 entering the second quarter.
Kone’s basket to start the second stanza tied it at 24, and Sykes’ layup 2:15 before halftime gave the Mystics the lead for good at 41-39.
–Field Level Media
