Georgia Amoore’s career night lifts Mystics to 80-73 comeback over Mercury

What happened

Georgia Amoore delivered a breakout performance for the Washington Mystics, scoring a career-high 25 points and hitting six 3-pointers as Washington rallied to defeat the Phoenix Mercury 80-73. Amoore scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and produced an eight-point stretch late that included two critical 3-pointers to put the Mystics ahead 78-73 with 1:18 remaining.

Phoenix led for much of the second half. The Mercury opened the fourth quarter on a 6-0 run to make it 63-53 with 8:17 left. Washington answered with a 27-10 run to close the game, erasing that 10-point deficit and preserving the road victory.

Who contributed

Kiki Iriafen provided a complementary performance with 20 points and 12 rebounds, notching her 19th double-double of the season. Shakira Austin added 11 points and seven rebounds. The Mystics finished with a 35-29 edge on the glass, a measurable advantage in a comeback win.

For Phoenix, Kahleah Copper carried the early load, scoring 35 points with 22 coming in the first half. Natasha Mack finished with 10 points and nine rebounds. Alyssa Thomas produced 10 rebounds and eight assists but managed only four points on 1-of-5 shooting.

Game flow and momentum swings

• Phoenix jumped out early as Copper scored the team's first 10 points and had 15 of the Mercury's 18 first-quarter points. The Mercury led 15-2 before Washington mounted a response.
• Washington built runs of 16-0 in the first quarter and 11-0 in the second, using those stretches to take control at points during the first half.
• Lexi Held's four-point play gave Phoenix the first lead of the second half at 54-51 late in the third, and Phoenix still led 57-53 after three quarters.
• The decisive swing came in the fourth: Phoenix stretched the lead to 63-53, but Washington's late 27-10 run flipped the result.

Standings and context

The Mystics improved to 24-15, their best win total since the 2019 championship team's 26-8 season. Washington has won three straight games and five of six, moving into sixth place in the standings. They sit one game ahead of the seventh-place Dallas Wings (23-16), one game behind the fifth-place Indiana Fever (25-14), and 1.5 games behind the fourth-place Atlanta Dream (25-13) with five regular-season games remaining. The top four teams earn home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Phoenix dropped to 13-26 and has lost four straight and seven of eight. The Mercury were swept by Washington 3-0 in the season series.

Takeaway

Washington's rebounding and late-game scoring through Amoore powered a comeback that keeps the Mystics within striking distance of a higher seed. Phoenix relied heavily on Copper's scoring, but could not stop Washington's late surge and lost ground in a down stretch of the season.