Mystics at Valkyries Postgame Notes
May 22, 2025 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Washington Mystics News Release
Mystics 74 - Valkyries 76
High Points High Rebounds High Assists
Mystics (74) Sykes (30) Iriafen (12) Melbourne (7)
Valkyries (76) Burton (22) Burton (9) Burton (5)
Please see the attached game book for a full box score and breakdown of tonight's game.
Mystics Game Notes:
The Washington Mystics, the youngest team in the WNBA (average age: 24.9), faced off against the WNBA's newest franchise, the Golden State Valkyries.
Washington held Golden State to just 11 points in the first quarter. Last season, the Mystics limited opponents to 11 or fewer points in a quarter five times.
The Mystics also held the Valkyries to 18.9% shooting from three-point range.
Brittney Sykes led the Mystics with 30 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
This marks her fifth career 30+ point game (last: 30 pts, Aug. 18, 2023, vs. IND)
It's also her third consecutive 20+ point performance - only the third such streak in her career (last: 6/18/17-6/25/17).
Sykes becomes the first player in Mystics history to score 20+ points in each of the first three games to open a season.
Through three games, Sykes has totaled 79 points and 15 assists, becoming just the third player, and the first player since Cappie Pondexter in 2008, to record at least 75 points and 15 assists through a season's first three games.
Sykes tied her career high with 14 free throw attempts, marking her third straight game with at least 10 attempts.
She becomes the only player since 1990 to attempt 12+ free throws in each of the first three games to start a season.
Rookie Kiki Iriafen recorded her second career double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
She becomes just the fifth Mystics rookies to post a double-double in back-to-back games (last Aaliyah Edwards, 2024).
Iriafen has totaled 30 rebounds through her first three games, becoming the first rookie since Breanna Stewart (32; 5/15/16-5/22/16) to collect 30+ rebounds in their first three games.
Sonia Citron added 10 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block - her third consecutive game scoring in double figures.
Rookies Citron and Iriafen are the first pair of Mystics rookies to each score 10+ points in three straight games.
Off the bench, guard Jade Melbourne totaled eight points, seven rebounds and a team-best seven assists.
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