The Washington Mystics (13-26) face a must-win situation in their season finale on Thursday night against the Caitlin Clark-led Indiana Fever (20-19). The Mystics are one of three teams battling for the final eighth seed in the playoffs, but they will require some assistance. against make the playoffs, they must overcome the Fever and pray that the 14-25 Atlanta Dream lose against the Chicago Sky.
With important playoff implications at stake and a matchup against the WNBA’s most popular club, the Mystics made a major change before of Thursday’s game. For this primetime showdown, the game has been moved from their home arena, the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, D.C., to Capital One Arena, home of the Washington Wizards.
While the Mystics’ season hasn’t gone exactly as planned, they have an opportunity on Thursday night to leave the regular season behind and start over at 0-0 if they can secure a playoff spot.
In contrast, the Fever have been one of the league’s hottest teams since the Olympic break, winning nine of their last 13 games and securing a playoff spot for the first time since 2016. Caitlin Clark, the Fever’s Rookie of the Year, has been critical to the team’s success, and the Mystics, along with Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston, will face a difficult test if they want to save their season.
