MYSTICS BRING FIRST WNBA CHAMPIONSHIP TO DC! — Talent, Teamwork, Coaching Pay Off As Washington Downs CT Sun 89-78!

By Paul Wickham Schmidt

immigrationcourtside.com Sports Exclusive

Oct. 11, 2019.  They finally did it! After falling just short last year, and trailing much of the way last night in Washington, the Mystics seized control and beat the Connecticut Sun 89-78 in the decisive game five of the WNBA finals. Current and two-time WNBA MVP Elena Della Donne and Coach Mike Thibault jointly celebrated their first crown. It was a particularly sweet moment for Thibault, the winningest coach in WNBA history, who had never won the big prize. Thanks to Delle Donne and friends, his legacy is now complete.

But, it wasn’t easy. The home team team didn’t take the lead for good until about the five minute mark of quarter four. And, they had to withstand a dominating performance by the “Bahamian Behemoth,” Sun star Jonquel Jones (who played at George Washington) had a game-high 25 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and almost single handedly kept the Sun in the contest. Indeed, the turning point was midway through quarter three when Jones was on the bench with four fouls and the Sun saw their 9 point advantage slip away.

For much of the final series the Mystics overall talent advantage was negated by an untimely, debilitating back injury suffered by Delle Donne, causing her to miss most of game two and limiting her play in games three and four. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Mystics lost two of  those three games. 

But, last night, the MVP returned to form, scoring 21 points and capturing 9 rebounds. She had lots of help. 6’5” “Playoff Emma” Meesseman  lived up to her nickname by coming off the bench with 22 points and earning the Finals MVP Award, the first reserve do so. Natasha Cloud hit two big threes and chipped in 18 points. Veteran Kristi Toliver, a former Maryland Terps star, added another 18. After a tough start, Toliver settled down, draining all 7 of her free throws, including some clutch ones to seal the victory.

In addition to the overall high level of play, constant energy, and outstanding teamwork, an impressive feature of the WNBA is that the players actually make free throws. The Mystics shot nearly 88% for the season. By contrast, the best free throw shooting team in the NBA last season, the San Antonio Spurs, were at about 81% and the Mystics NBA brothers, the Wizards, shot only about 77%. Speaking of the Wiz, it was great to see stars John Wall and Bradley Beal, both sporting Toliver jerseys, enthusiastically pumping up the crowd and leading the cheers for their good friends.

Delle Donne came over from the Chicago Sky, where she had reached the finals without success, with the goal of bringing a long-awaited championship to DC. She has done exactly that, by being great on the court, humble off it, and making everyone around her better. Along with fellow superstars Alex Ovechkin, Ryan Zimmerman, Anthony Rendon, and John Wall, she has established herself as one of the “faces of Washington sports excellence.” 

Congrats to Mike Thibault and the women of the Mystics for a season well-played and consistently showing how teamwork, leadership, perseverance, and sportsmanship can be a winning combination. That’s a positive example from which many others in our nation’s capital could learn.

PWS

10-11-19