Sonia Citron exploded for 30 points, Kiki Iriafen added a dominant 25-point, 13-rebound double-double, and the Washington Mystics survived a Caitlin Clark masterclass to defeat the Indiana Fever 104-102 in overtime on Friday night.
Clark was nothing short of spectacular, pouring in 17 points in the fourth quarter alone to keep Indiana alive. With the Fever trailing by three and just 1.7 seconds left on the clock, the superstar guard drilled a clutch 3-pointer from the left wing to tie the game at 89 and force an extra period. The crowd held its breath as Citron attempted a half-court heave at the regulation buzzer, but the shot came just a hair too late.
In overtime, it was Citron who took over, scoring five points and dishing out two assists to seal the win. The Mystics' dynamic duo of Citron and Iriafen combined for 44 points after halftime, shooting an incredible 21-of-31 from the field as Washington connected on 56% of their attempts overall.
Shakira Austin chipped in 19 points, and rookie Cotie McMahon made an immediate impact in her debut, scoring 13 points with five coming in the extra frame. The Mystics improved to 2-1 on the season.
Clark finished with a game-high 32 points and seven 3-pointers, but her heroics weren't enough to lift the Fever. Kelsey Mitchell added 24 points for Indiana (1-2), but missed two critical free throws in the final minute of overtime and a contested jumper from the left corner as time expired. Monique Billings contributed 10 points.
The Fever suffered a major blow when star forward Aliyah Boston left the game with a lower leg injury with two minutes remaining in the third quarter and did not return. She finished with nine points.
Indiana connected on 17 of 42 attempts from beyond the arc, but their perimeter shooting couldn't compensate for a massive 48-28 deficit in points in the paint. The Fever came out firing, hitting 6 of 7 3-pointers in the first quarter to build a 28-21 lead, but Washington closed the period on a 5-0 run and outscored Indiana 20-9 in the second to take a 41-37 halftime advantage.
The Mystics stretched their lead to 14 in the third quarter, but Clark caught fire in the fourth, drilling three 3-pointers to fuel a 12-2 run that set up her dramatic game-tying shot.
Washington continues its four-game road trip at Dallas on Monday, while Indiana hosts Seattle on Sunday as part of a four-game homestand.