Sun @ Mystics preview: Still trying to get the bad taste out

It’s been 36 hours and, sadly, the horrible taste in my mouth from the Sun’s collapse against Indiana Sunday might have only gotten worse.

Maybe I’m way off base, and we know the Sun are way out of playoff contention, but there was a lot of hope for the future there early in the second half as Connecticut built a 21-point lead. It would be their first win streak of the season, the defense was getting an identity, there were some pieces there that could be a contender in the future, maybe Rachid Meziane could be the guy to mold everything together long-term.

Now one poor stretch of play might not (and maybe should not) change any of that. But just the way it went down allowed some of the confidence that was building to evaporate. Quite simply, the Sun couldn’t get a stop. At all. Against an Indiana team that didn’t have Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, or two of their other point guards (Odyssey Sims did fill in admirably).

Aaliyah Edwards was the sixth pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft
by Washington. (courtesy Washington Mystics)

And it seemed like the simple defensive breakdowns that made Connecticut so bad defensively early in the season had gone, but there they were: guard penetration, awful rotations on the help defense, lack of communication, a field day in the paint for the opponent.

As I’ve said many times this season, we know the Sun are going to lose a lot of games, but we do need to see improvement, especially on the defensive end, which it seems like they have the pieces to be competitive.

With some games against the bottom of the league coming in, it looked like the Sun might be able to finish the season strong, climb out of last place, and make life tough for everyone, setting up momentum for 2026 and beyond.

You know when their defense looked at their worst? Two months ago, the last time Connecticut visited Washington, D.C. (there’s some idiots that are not WNBA fans trying to take over the city recently if you haven’t noticed, but that’s for another forum). The Sun gave up 104 points to the offensively challenged Mystics, allowing them to shoot 30-for-45 from inside the arc, offering little resistance to anything. Just like they did against Indiana Sunday.

It’s the first of two against Washington, and a good read on how the last few weeks of the season might go. Will the Sun go down in flames and be one of the worst teams in WNBA history? Or will they scrape a few victories together to set themselves up for a surprising 2026?

What else are we looking for in Washington, D.C. Tuesday night?:

 

SUN @ WASHINGTON MYSTICS

Time: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT

Place: CareFirst Arena; Washington, D.C.

Records: Connecticut 6-27; Washington 16-18

TV: NBC Sports Boston; WNBA League Pass

Line: Washington -5.5

Absences: Connecticut- NONE.

Washington - Jacy Sheldon (out, ankle); Stefanie Dolson (out, leg); Georgia Amoore (out, season ending knee).

 

History between them: In addition to the embarrassing loss in early June, the Sun looked like they may be able to take the season opener, before Washington pulled it out late (and Connecticut would be ahead of Washington in the standings had it won). Brittany Sykes had 27 points, including 11-for-13 from the free throw line.

Connecticut leads the regular season series 60-37 overall and swept the Mystics in four meetings last season. In fact, the Sun had won nine straight dating back to 2022 when Della Donne and Jonquel Jones were the leading respective scorers. Mike Thibault won all three playoff series between the two teams, the other two coming in 2004 and 2006.

What to look for: After trading Brittany Sykes to Seattle, it looked like the Mystics were waving the white flag for their playoff hopes, but two wins against the Sun this week would get them back to .500 and right back in the mix with eight games left. Washington’s offense is still 11th in efficiency (ahead of Chicago and Connecticut), but it’s been decent lately, even without Sykes. They scored 95 on the defensively challenged Sparks Sunday, and while shooting 11-for-20 from behind the arc helps (they take by far the fewest threes in the league, but shoot them at 34.1%), it was Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen doing plenty of damage in the paint, along with Emily Engstler. Sykes is gone, but Sug Sutton will be happy to run pick-and-rolls all night if the Sun don’t stop her.

At the other end, Washington has actually gotten slightly worse defensively, but still dominates the glass, led by Iriafen and Austin. Without Sykes, they aren’t as dangerous forcing turnovers, but are still solid and will make the Sun execute, which they did not in the second half Sunday. The Mystics have only forced 16 turnovers in their last two games, so it shouldn’t be an all-out pressure, but if Connecticut can’t hit shots, they aren’t likely to get many second chances.

Key players:  Connecticut: Aaliyah Edwards - There should be plenty of motivation for Edwards to try to do some damage against the team that deemed her expendable, although you can see from the preceding paragraphs why they thought so. It’s been a struggle for Edwards since the trade to Connecticut, and it could set up to be a tough decision for the Sun front office on whether to protect her or not. Still, with her size, she might be a better matchup than Aneesah Morrow in this one.

Washington: Sonia Cintron - A bit of a quiet assassin, Cintron leads Washington in win shares (4.1) and is just solid statistically across the board. She’s not going to flashy on either end of the floor, but is shooting 41.3% from behind the arc, 46.9% overall, and never really looked rushed on the court, with only 62 turnovers all season. Paige Bueckers will win Rookie of the Year, but Cintron should be in the discussion.

Advanced stat:  5.6% - Block rate for both Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Emily Engstler, tied for sixth in the WNBA (Natasha Mack leads the league at 7.9%).

Tactical spotlight: As was previously mentioned, Washington takes the fewest three-pointers in the league, and they surely saw the film from Sunday, so the Sun is going to see pick-and-rolls until morale improves and/or they can stop it. Tina Charles was overpowered by Aliyah Boston and both Iriafen and Austin have the potential to do the same, but Nelson-Ododa can’t seem to get her angles correct or doesn’t have the help she needs. Who will guard Cintron is a tough one, too, probably Rivers when she’s in the game, but when she’s not, good luck if Leila Lacan is on Sutton.

Inside the numbers: 5 - Number of first-round picks the two teams have combined in the 2026 draft, although Washington will have the only lottery one, although the pick they’re getting from Seattle has really improved in value in the last 10 days or so.

Prediction: 86-76 Washington