Mystics vs Sun came back with the Washington Mystics trying to turn an 88-81 first-meeting win into a second straight result. The twist was the same one that shaped the preview: the Connecticut Sun were without Aneesah Morrow, their leading rebounder.
Aneesah Morrow and the glass
Morrow ranked third in the W in total rebounds at 9.9 and fourth in offensive rebounds at 2.9, which left Connecticut short of its best board work. Zak Hanshew called her “arguably the W’s most impactful rebounder,” then opened with, “No Morrow means plenty of sorrow for the Sun tonight!”
The Washington Mystics had a direct answer in the frontcourt. Both Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin ranked in the Top 8 in rebounds, and both were averaging a career-best 8.7 rebounds per game. Austin had 8+ rebounds in 10 of 15 contests and was on a run of two straight games with 8+ rebounds. Iriafen had grabbed 9+ rebounds in eight of 12 healthy appearances.
Washington Mystics form
Washington also entered on form. The Mystics had covered in four straight games and had wins over the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty during that stretch. Sonia Citron added another layer, averaging 22.8 points over her last four games, with 18+ points three times in that span and exactly 17 points twice more.
Zak Hanshew wrote that “Washington’s interior advantage will be on full display in this one,” and the numbers lined up with that view. The Sun ranked 12th in Defensive Rating at 109.2 and 11th in opponent points at 88.3, while Washington’s rebounders were set up to attack the same area that Morrow usually anchors.
The Sun injury list
Morrow was out, along with Saniya Rivers and Hailey Van Lith. That left the Sun thin in the frontcourt and pushed the rebounding burden onto a group trying to replace a player who had been producing 9.9 rebounds per game and 2.9 offensive rebounds per game.
The first meeting had already gone Washington’s way, 88-81, and this one carried the same practical question for anyone tracking the matchup: whether Connecticut could survive on the glass without Morrow against a Mystics team built to pressure the boards. The second meeting itself would decide whether the first result stood as the shape of the series or just the opening swing.
