The Atlanta Dream enter Sunday’s home game with the Mystics as winners of eight of their last 11 games, including a victory over Washington.
The Mystics (12-12), in turn, have lost four of their last five and enter Sunday’s contest with serious injury concerns.
Regular starters Elena Delle Donne (ankle), Ariel Atkins (ankle) and Shakira Austin (hip) as well as reserve Kristi Toliver (plantar fasciitis) are potentially out for Sunday’s game.
They did not play in a 90-62 loss at the Dallas Wings on Friday night.
Mid-season trade acquisition Queen Egbo left the game against Dallas after rolling her ankle just 18 seconds into her first check-in. She did not play the remainder of the game.
“I didn’t (see what happened). I just saw her and a pile on the ground,” Washington coach Mike Thibault said of Egbo. “So I don’t want to say I’m grateful it’s the ankle till I know the extent of it, but that’s not what I thought she was holding. Ankles, story of our month.”
Delle Donne has missed eight games because of her ankle sprain. Atkins has sat out five and Natasha Cloud missed three games because of an ankle sprain earlier in the season.
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough led the Mystics with 14 points in the loss to Dallas. Brittney Sykes scored 12 with five steals and Cloud added 11 points.
While Washington’s lineup is unsettled because of injuries, Atlanta has used the same starting group for three straight games and nine times in its past 11.
Allisha Gray led Atlanta with 25 points and six assists while Aari McDonald scored a season-high 18 points off the bench in a 95-84 loss at the New York Liberty on Thursday.
In her seventh year in the WNBA, Gray is averaging career highs in points (17.9), rebounds (5.2), assists (3.5) and field-goal percentage (48.0).
“None of that matters if we’re not winning games,” Gray said. “I don’t care about how many points I score; end of the day, it’s all about the team.”
The Dream (13-11) fell to fifth place in the WNBA standings, a game behind Dallas (14-10) for the last home-court advantage spot with 16 regular-season games remaining.
–Field Level Media
