The Washington Mystics used some strong defense and a first-half scoring barrage from Natasha Cloud on Sunday night to defeat the Minnesota Lynx in their home opener.
Cloud dominated for Washington in the first half, scoring all 19 of her points in the first 20 minutes. While Cloud provided the offense, the Mystics were impenetrable on the defensive end.
The Lynx had a miserable night from the floor, shooting 34 percent overall and just 5-for-15 on 3-point attempts. Minnesota was especially brutal in the second quarter, being outscored by the Mystics 23-4 and entering halftime with a 24-point deficit.
Washington continued to pour it on with a balanced attack that saw all five starters score in double figures. Although the Mystics entered the fourth quarter with a 23-point lead, the Lynx started to make a comeback behind Jessica Shepard, who posted 16 points and 12 rebounds and chipped the lead down to eight points on a Natalie Achonwa layup with 1:57 to play.
But it was too big of a hole to overcome and the Lynx fell to 0-2 on the season. The Lynx will look for their first win of the season on Tuesday when they travel to face the Indiana Fever.
