The Washington Mystics’ season has been a mixture of close victories and losses, with two multi-possession defeats to the undefeated New York Liberty. However, their rookie duo of Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen is a constant force.
The latter player opened up about being a go-to option in crunch time after Washington’s 86-78 loss to New York on Thursday.
Kiki Iriafen reflects on already being looked to as a go-to option in crunch time just a few games into her career. pic.twitter.com/hDH3KXCz2r
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) June 6, 2025
“I think it’s just all about matchups, so sometimes I have a better matchup. But even for our guards, we’re running plays for them, so I wouldn’t say it’s all about me,” she said. “But I just know if my coaches put me in a position for me to score, I’m gonna do my best to score the ball. I think the biggest thing for me, I’m not thinking too much about being a go-to or anything like that; it’s just, how can I have an impact on my team?”
Iriafen notched a team-high 17 points (6-13 FG) with nine rebounds and hit two buckets in the final four minutes to keep the Mystics within striking distance. They didn’t complete the comeback, but the result was better than their 85-63 loss to the Liberty on May 30.
“It’s still super early in the season, and I feel like every game I’m learning offensively with my teammates and kind of just building chemistry,” she continued. “So I think it’s more so just finding the feel, I think my guards are able to see a lot of opportunities for me that I’m not even seeing for myself, and then I’m just able to cultivate on that.”
Iriafen scored off of first-quarter assists by Citron and Emily Engstler, two of Washington’s most important guards. The backcourt consistently set her up with looks inside, helping her accumulate six free throw attempts, tied for her second-highest mark of the season. That synergy has helped her keep up with future Hall of Famers Brittney Griner, A’ja Wilson, and Breanna Stewart in their matchups.
Iriafen went up against Stewart in both games vs. New York, and her performance improved in the second one. The 21-year-old scored 12 points (4-14 FG) with seven rebounds in the first.
“I think when you play a team multiple times, you start to get a knack for how they want to defend you and how they want to guard you, so as much as she [Stewart] was trying to exploit me, I was trying to exploit her,” she explained. “I think I was just trying to make reads, slow the game down, and not rush. I think I had some rushes today, but I’m slowing the game down as much as I can, and I know if I don’t get the ball, I’m at least making the defense collapse, and one of my teammates will be open for a three. So I think that was my biggest focus, just how can I run the floor and make an impact that way.”
Stewart got the better of Iriafen on Thursday, scoring a game-high 26 points (8-16 FG, 0-3 3 PT) with 11 rebounds. It’s natural for a two-time MVP to outperform a rookie, but the key is that the young forward made progress.
Meanwhile, Iriafen and Citron lead this year’s rookie class with 134 and 124 points, respectively. No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers is third with 88, although she’s missed the last three games with a concussion.
Mystics’ Sydney Johnson showers Shakira Austin with praise
While veteran guard Brittney Sykes (team-high 19.6 points, 4.5 assists, 1.1 steals per game) and the aforementioned rookie duo have been Washington’s headliners, forward/center Shakira Austin’s return to health is a significant subplot. The 2022 No. 3 overall pick made the WNBA All-Rookie team in 2022, but played just 31 games over the last two seasons due to hip and ankle injuries. She also missed time this year with a right leg injury and a concussion.
However, Austin had her best game of the season on Thursday, notching nine points (3-11 FG, 0-2 3 PT) with 11 rebounds, four assists, and one steal in 23 minutes off the bench. The 24-year-old’s previous season-high in minutes was 15.
Head coach Sydney Johnson was encouraged by her performance after the contest.
Mystics coach Sydney Johnson shares his thoughts on Shakira Austin’s progress as she works her way back up to 100% health. She tallied nine points with a team-high nine rebounds off the bench tonight to go with four assist. pic.twitter.com/U2ewhEbtPq
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) June 6, 2025
“She’s good…I mean, she’s good, that’s what it is. It’s health, it’s not trying to overdo it, and fast-forward her kind of feeling great,” he said. “She was a little winded on some plays out there, and she pushed through. But her impact on both ends was fun to see. I’m just rooting for every last one of our players, so to see her kind of getting close to her groove, it’s a cool thing for her and certainly for our team and organization.”
The Mystics are still in the early stages of their new era, but the simultaneous emergence of Iriafen, Citron, and Austin paints an exciting picture of the future. For now, the most important thing is to keep improving incrementally.
Next up for Washington is a home date with the Connecticut Sun on Sunday afternoon.
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