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Phoenix hosts Washington following Austin’s 31-point game

Washington Mystics (22-15, 11-5 Eastern Conference) at Phoenix Mercury (13-24, 8-11 Western Conference)

Phoenix; Tuesday, 10 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Washington Mystics visits the Phoenix Mercury after Shakira Austin scored 31 points in the Mystics’ 105-100 win against the Portland Fire.

The Mercury have gone 5-12 in home games. Phoenix is seventh in the Western Conference with 36.2 points per game in the paint led by Alyssa Thomas averaging 10.5.

The Mystics are 9-8 on the road. Washington is the leader in the Eastern Conference allowing only 83.1 points per game while holding opponents to 42.8% shooting.

Phoenix scores 84.0 points per game, 0.9 more points than the 83.1 Washington allows. Washington averages 5.9 made 3-pointers per game this season, 4.0 fewer made shots on average than the 9.9 per game Phoenix allows.

The two teams match up for the second time this season. The Mystics defeated the Mercury 95-75 in their last matchup on Aug. 9. Sonia Citron led the Mystics with 19 points, and Kahleah Copper led the Mercury with 15 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: DeWanna Bonner is averaging 10.6 points and 6.1 rebounds for the Mercury. Copper is averaging 22.4 points over the last 10 games.

Austin is scoring 17.0 points per game and averaging 9.5 rebounds for the Mystics. Citron is averaging 1.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Mercury: 4-6, averaging 87.2 points, 32.3 rebounds, 21.9 assists, 6.6 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 90.6 points per game.

Mystics: 7-3, averaging 86.5 points, 39.8 rebounds, 19.9 assists, 5.7 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 83.1 points.

INJURIES: Mercury: Marta Suarez: day to day (head), Kelsey Plum: day to day (calf).

Mystics: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Mystics’ Kiki Iriafen, Sonia Citron selected to USA for FIBA Women’s World Cup

A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum will miss the FIBA Women's World Cup for health reasons and will be replaced by Washington teammates Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron, USA Basketball announced Monday. Wilson, the four-time WNBA MVP, has shouldered quite a workload in the first part of the season for the Las Vegas Aces and needed a break to rest and get ready for the playoffs. She was voted the most outstanding player of the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2022 World Cup. She will be sorely missed by the United States. Plum has been dealing with a calf injury for most of the WNBA season and it still hasn't 100% healed. She was a catalyst in the Paris Games gold-medal contest against France and sparked the Americans to the one-point victory. Iriafen and Citron were both part of U.S. camps this past winter. Iriafen played on the American team that went to Puerto Rico and won the World Cup qualifier. Citron had to miss that tournament because of an injury, so she'll be making her national team debut in Germany.
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