The playoffs are on the Washington Mystics’ mind going into their season-ending matchup with Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Thursday. Coach Eric Thibault’s team needs a victory and some outside assistance to scrape into the postseason.
The Mystics must defeat the Atlanta Dream on Thursday night in order to advance to the postseason for the third time in a row, courtesy of the league-leading New York Liberty. On the final day of the regular season, however, the Mystics’ hopes of making the playoffs remain alive despite a dismal start to the campaign.
The 13-26 Mystics are one game behind the Dream for the eighth and final playoff place going into Thursday’s play. The Mystics will barely make it into the playoffs if Washington triumphs and Atlanta loses. Despite an exciting late-season run, Thibault’s young club will focus on the offseason with any other outcome. If the Mystics and Dream both fall short, the Chicago Sky would get to play in the postseason.
“We have one more opportunity to showcase our abilities and play the way we have demonstrated throughout the year,” Thibault stated on Tuesday. “We have another opportunity to demonstrate our excellent resiliency, which we have demonstrated throughout the season.”
After suffering 12 straight defeats to start the season, the Mystics swiftly fell to the bottom of both the WNBA standings and the majority of power rankings. However, as the 2024 season progressed, Thibault’s team bounced back, compiling victories as the summer went on.