COLLEGE PARK, Ga. – Brittney Sykes scored 18 points in her first game since May 17, Ariel Atkins also scored 18 and the Washington Mystics won their first game of the season, beating the Atlanta Dream 87-68 on Tuesday night.
Washington (1-12) avoided tying the longest losing streak in franchise history as the 2012 team lost 13 straight games. The Mystics' 19-point victory is the third-largest to break a double-digit losing streak in WNBA history.
“The feeling is that it was coming,” coach Eric Thibault said. “I said the other night that we're becoming a good basketball team and we just haven't had the wins to show for it yet. We've been playing better basketball for a while now.
“Obviously we're shooting well, but I think the quality of the shots we're getting is really good.”
Sykes, who had missed the last 10 games due to an ankle injury, was 4 of 6 from 3-point range in just 14 minutes, and Atkins made all three of his attempts from long range. The Mystics made a season-high 17 three-pointers, with eight players making shots. Her 17 made 3-pointers were the second-most in a game in franchise history and one shy of the WNBA single-game record.
Sykes appeared to sprain his left foot (same with the sprained ankle) early in the fourth quarter after an awkward step. Thibault said the team wasn't overly concerned and would further evaluate the injury upon his return to DC.
Sykes did not meet with the media after the game because he was with the team's coach. She was seen walking down a hallway on crutches, but the Mystics said they were cautious.
Thibault said the team felt Sykes' impact immediately Tuesday on “both ends of the floor.”
“You see it in the public hearing,” he said. “It's not something that there is a lot of in the league. We were able to throw the ball in front of her a couple of times and let her attack. There's just an aggressiveness to her game that's a great trait to have on our team.”
Washington made seven 3-pointers in the first quarter, on just 11 attempts, to take a 25-15 lead. But the Mystics were just 1 of 6 from long range in the second quarter as Atlanta pulled within 38-33 at halftime after closing on an 8-1 run.
Sykes, Karlie Samuelson and Stefanie Dolson each scored three points in the first three minutes of the third quarter to make the score 49-38, and Washington led by at least nine the rest of the game.
“There's a great quote I saw a few days ago: 'Winners celebrate and losers explain,'” Thibault said. “So I'm glad I don't have to explain myself, I'm glad we can celebrate at least one night.”
Julie Vanloo added 11 points off the bench for Washington.
Rhyne Howard scored 16 points, Aerial Powers added 13 and Tina Charles contributed 12 points and nine rebounds for Atlanta (5-5). Allisha Gray, averaging a team-high 16 points per game, was held to nine on 3-of-10 shooting.
Howard, at 24 years and 43 days, became the youngest player in WNBA history to reach 200 career three-pointers.
ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
