With a commanding 100-77 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday night, the Washington Mystics successfully bagged their place in the playoffs. Their victory gives the Mystics an increased advantage over Atlanta. The Mystics secured sixth place in the rankings as they get closer to the postseason.

Meanwhile, despite crashing out of the playoffs, Brittney Griner of the Mercury surpassed legend Maya Moore, giving fans a reason to celebrate.

Brittney Griner rewrites WNBA history

Leading the charge for the Mystics was Elena Delle Donne with an impressive 24 points. Supporting her was Natasha Cloud who added 20 points along with 10 assists.? Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Brittney Sykes each scored 18 points, while the entire team chipped in with the other 17.

However, the Mystics encountered a setback when guard Kristi Toliver was rendered inactive for the remainder of the season due to a ruptured ACL. Despite this, Washington had a dominating 50-33 lead at halftime after starting strong and shooting an incredible 56% from the field.

The Mercury was led by Michaela Onyenwere’s 19 points and Brittney Griner’s 16 points. However, it wasn’t enough to stay afloat against the Mystics. With this defeat, the Mercury have been dealt a significant blow to their playoff aspirations. However, Brittney Griner gave fans a reason to celebrate on an otherwise disappointing night for them.

Griner became the 24th player to reach the coveted 5,000-point milestone in WNBA history. The 24th position on the list of all-time scorers was previously held by Maya Moore, a WNBA icon in her own right.

As for the Mystics, with only a few games left in the regular season, they are keen to keep their winning streak going. They’ll host the Dream on Friday and play New York to end the season on Sunday.

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Unfortunately for the Mercury, this season has been marred with injuries.

A season marred by injuries for Phoenix

Due to the numerous injuries to their star players, the Phoenix Mercury has been facing a difficult time on the court. The Mercury’s chances of making the postseason have suffered as key starter Diana Taurasi is out with a toe injury. Furthermore, Sophie Cunningham is healing from a jaw injury, and guard Shey Peddy has been in concussion protocol since August 5. The team is choosing a cautious approach now that the playoffs are out of reach by delaying the return of these important players. In the meantime, they will depend on their bench for the rest of the season.

Sug Sutton has taken Diana Taurasi’s place in the starting lineup after Taurasi missed five of the last six games due to a toe injury sustained on August 20. Without the depth that Taurasi, Cunningham, and Peddy offer, Moriah Jefferson took on a bigger offensive role. But despite Jefferson’s eight points in the first round, the Mercury had trouble keeping their flow throughout the game.

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They struggled to distribute the ball in the third quarter due to the absence of their injured stars, instead depending primarily on Michaela Onyenwere and Brittney Griner. They scored 15 of the team’s 17 points during that quarter during their last game.? The Mercury started out well in their game against the Washington Mystics, but they were unable to keep up their momentum and fell behind during a run of 18-7 by the Mystics near the end of the first quarter.

The Mercury’s fate is in doubt with only two games remaining, including a vital home game on Friday. Their final obstacle: the mighty Las Vegas Aces. Who are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments below!