The Mystics were clinging to a one-point lead as third quarter of a highly competitive, physical first-round playoff matchup with the Storm came to a close. Washington forward Elena Delle Donne ended the quarter knocking down one of her many toughly-contested jumpers and a free throw to give the Mystics the 65–64 advantage.
In a rematch of the 2018 WNBA Finals, the stage was set for an epic final quarter between two of the league’s evenly-matched teams competing to steal Game 1 of the best-of-three series inside Climate Pledge Arena. As both teams finished with four players in double figures, the majority of game brought with it a display of pure competition from two of the league’s greatest players in Seattle’s Breanna Stewart and Delle Donne.
But, with a pivotal game on the line, the game went beyond a masterclass of two of the league’s most unstoppable forwards. It came down to the play of Jewell Loyd, who was not having the game she hoped for, but finished strong to give the Storm a crucial 86–83 victory.
