Karlie Samuelson Leads Mystics in Win over Phoenix Mercury

Jason Burke | Sep 6, 2024

Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) rushes up the court against Washington Mystics guard Karlie Samuelson (44) Wednesday, June 19, 2024, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Indiana Fever defeated the Washington Mystics, 88 - 81. / Brett Phelps/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

With seven playoff spots already claimed, and just a handful of games remaining in the WNBA season, every win matters right now for teams on the bubble like the Washington Mystics. Former Stanford star Karlie Samuelson shot the lights out to help her team secure a 90-77 victory over the Phoenix Mercury, who just so happen to hold one of the claimed playoff spots.

Samuelson went 5-for-5 from beyond the arc, and 6-for-6 overall, on top of 2-for-3 from the free throw line, giving her a team-high and a career-high 19 in the win in just 19 minutes and 46 seconds of floor time. On top of scoring a point per minute, she also recorded a +18 on the night, which is extremely impressive given her relative lack of playing time. She also recorded a rebound, a steal, and three assists.

Game Recap: The @WashMystics brung the heat to Phoenix, defeating the Mercury 90-77 as Karlie Samuelson puts on a perfect 19 PTS (5-5 3PM, 6-6 FG) performance 🔥#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/Xpl748HVZ8

— WNBA (@WNBA) September 6, 2024

With the win, the Washington Mystics sit in 10th place overall with a 11-23 record, but they are just a half-game behind both the Chicago Sky (11-22) and Atlanta Dream (11-22). Including the pre-season, Washington lost a total of 14 games in a row to begin 2024, collecting their first win on June 11 against the Dream. Only 12 of those games came in the regular season.

The Mystics next game will be on Sunday, September 8 at 12 p.m. PDT against the Minnesota Lynx, who rank third overall in the WNBA. Their three games next week all come against the two teams currently in front of Washington, with a game on the road against Chicago, then on the road in Atlanta, followed by a home matchup with the Dream two days later.

If Washington is going to make a push towards the postseason, that would be the time to do it. The Mystics will wrap up their season with games against the top-seeded New York Liberty (28-6) on September 17, and the playoff bound Indiana Fever on September 19. Both of those games will be at home.