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Preseason basketball is normally a tune-up for gamers and coaches, however it was greater than that for the Washington Mystics in opposition to the Indiana Fever on Saturday. The crew acquired its first style of what its new period will appear like, and there is loads to be enthusiastic about.

For starters, No. 3 total decide Sonia Citron performed in addition to first-year head coach Sydney Johnson may’ve hoped for, scoring 15 factors (5-6 FG, 2-3 3 PT) with 4 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block in 22 minutes.

The rookie was second on the crew in factors solely to eighth-year veteran Brittney Sykes (18), and he or she was happy with each herself and the crew as a complete within the 79-74 additional time loss.

“Yeah, I imply I feel total it went fairly easy,” she mentioned after the sport. “Once more, we are able to all the time get higher and that is gonna occur as we proceed to play collectively and construct that chemistry.

“Glad to have that below my belt, simply see how the stream of the sport is and play in opposition to competitors that is not our crew,” she continued. “However total, it was good, it was enjoyable.”

The truth that issues had been “easy” with out second-year ahead Aaliyah Edwards (again), No. 6 total decide Georgia Amoore (knee), and veteran massive Shakira Austin (leg) is an effective signal. The Fever did not have generational celebrity Caitlin Clark, however it was nonetheless a high quality highway efficiency nonetheless.

Washington had 11 of its 13 gamers rating, and it bested Indiana in area aim proportion (37.8 to 30.3), three-point proportion (25 to 21.4), and assists (21 to 18). If Johnson performed the starters for the ultimate jiffy, the ultimate outcome may’ve simply gone a distinct method.

Nevertheless, using backups down the stretch made sense, because it allowed the starters to relaxation and the teaching workers to judge the whole roster. No. 4 total decide Kiki Iriafen led the bench with seven factors (2-7 FG, 0-1 3 PT) and 5 rebounds, whereas third-year guard Jade Melbourne notched three factors (1-3 FG) with one rebound, three assists, two steals, and one block. No. 32 total decide Zaay Inexperienced added two steals of her personal, whereas un-drafted ahead Khadijiah Cave recorded three rebounds, an help, and a steal in simply 9 minutes.

It’s going to be difficult for the latter two gamers to make the ultimate roster, because the crew should reduce at the least three extra earlier than the common season after letting go of Morgan Jones and JoJo Lacey on Sunday. Nonetheless, having a number of gamers make an affect in several aspects reveals that the coaches are maintaining everybody engaged, even those who could not stick round lengthy.

Mystics’ Sydney Johnson is impressed with Sonia Citron

Washington would not have a star but, however Citron’s debut reminded the WNBA that it has one of the promising younger cores within the league. One good preseason sport proves nothing in regards to the Notre Dame product’s long-term potential, however it’s not simple for a beginner to shoot almost excellent from the sphere in opposition to world-class competitors simply two months after a grueling NCAA season.

“I feel we challenged our crew as a complete to attempt to replicate the stuff that we’re doing at our gymnasium and attempt to carry it to no matter enviornment we’re gonna play in. I assumed we noticed a number of the identical Sonia we see day-after-day,” Johnson mentioned. “I additionally preferred if there was a play that was off right here or there, she responded very well. She acquired higher from one second to the subsequent, which I feel is simply fantastic, and to have the ability to try this in her first sport is big. So simply actually, actually completely happy and identical to she mentioned, first sport below her belt, let’s transfer on.”

Citron and the Mystics’ subsequent likelihood to point out their progress will come on Wednesday vs. the Atlanta Dream, which is their second and ultimate preseason sport.