Winning is one thing, but Brittney Sykes and the Washington Mystics executed a beatdown of the Connecticut Sun on Sunday. The 2025 Unrivaled champion led the team with 28 points (6-12 FG, 2-4 3 PT) and six assists in a 104-67 home victory in Washington’s best performance of the season, and No. 3 overall pick Sonia Citron was impressed.
The Notre Dame alum explained postgame how Sykes, nicknamed “Slim,” is a good role model.
Sonia Citron showers Brittney Sykes with praise after her 28-point performance. pic.twitter.com/DRygMRoTEq
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) June 8, 2025
“I think there’s always a lot I can learn from Slim. She’s someone I look up to,” she said. “Obviously, she’s an amazing guard, but also an amazing leader. I think that’s something that really sticks out to me, like just throughout the game, she’s always just giving me bits of knowledge that I’m always trying to learn.”
Sykes (31) is the perfect veteran for Citron (21) to learn from as she adjusts to the WNBA. The former excels at getting to the rim and the free-throw line (14-15 FT on Sunday), while the latter is an off-ball sniper. Their games complement each other, and playing with Sykes is helping Citron expand her skillset.
“From her performance today…Her aggressiveness, but then her ability to also create for her teammates,” she continued. “Yeah, she had 30 points or whatever she had, being aggressive, but at the same time, the amount of times she got an open shot for her teammate. Being able to do both those things is something that I wanna do and wanna get better at, so it’s just really cool to see.”
Point guard and No. 6 overall pick Georgia Amoore’s season-ending ACL injury cleared the runway for Sykes to be a primary facilitator, as she leads the squad with 4.7 assists per game. That’s in addition to her team-high 20.6 points, and she’ll have a career season if she stays at that level.
However, Citron also had a Sykes-like game on Sunday, as she tied her career-high with four assists (three of them to Sykes) and did most of her scoring damage from two-point range. The two-time first-team All-ACC honoree notched 11 points (5-10 FG, 0-3 3 PT) with three rebounds and two steals, showing she doesn’t have to depend on three-point shooting to impact the game. That’s a good sign for someone who came into the WNBA as primarily an off-ball scorer.
It’ll take time for Citron to get to Sykes’ level of rim pressure and passing, but the more they play together, the more the latter’s game will influence her.
Aaliyah Edwards, Lucy Olsen take steps for Mystics
Sunday’s win was a team effort for Washington, as every player other than veteran center Stef Dolson scored. Forward/center Shakira Austin and forward Aaliyah Edwards each set season-highs with 14 and 13 points, respectively, while Edwards tied her season-high with seven boards.
The Mystics have gradually eased both players back into the rotation, as they started the season hurt. However, their performance vs. Connecticut showed why the team’s previous administration drafted them top 10 when they came out of college.
As for the current regime’s draft picks, Iriafen tallied 12 points (6-8 FG) with five rebounds, two assists, and one steal. The USC alum leads all rookies with 146 points this season, while Citron is second with 137. Phoenix Mercury guard Lexi Held is third with 94.
Additionally, No. 23 overall selection Lucy Olsen continues to contribute when called upon. The Iowa alum registered five points (1-1 FG, 1-1 3 PT) with three assists and one rebound in just 11 minutes against the Sun, and she leads Washington with a 45.5 percent clip from deep.
Mystics coach Sydney Johnson sang Olsen’s praises while Sykes and Citron smiled next to him in the postgame presser.
Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson sounded off on Lucy Olsen’s progress this season. The second-round pick notched five points and three assists in just 11 mins vs. the Sun today.
“I’m so happy for her.” pic.twitter.com/hoQh1TYrlT
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) June 8, 2025
“I’m so happy for her, just so happy for her. She just works really hard, she has a great balance,” he said. “Sorry if I’m repeating myself, but her confidence plus her willingness to hear from others and try to do what we’re asking specifically in this role, but also know that she’s got more game than that, that blend is really good about her.”
“She works really hard, she stays positive, she can draw confidence from her work habits, and she’s earned their [pointing to Sykes and Citron] respect. That’s a really big deal,” he continued. “Really happy to see the ball go in, but also really happy to see her moving defensively and competing, enjoying the game. She deserves it.”
Olsen has the skill to be Washington’s third breakout rookie of the year, as she displayed when she took the mantle for Iowa basketball last season after Caitlin Clark’s departure. The 2025 first-team All-Big Ten honoree averaged 17.9 points on 43.6 percent shooting (36 percent 3 PT) with 5.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals, leading the Hawkeyes to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She might not get the playing time to achieve those numbers this season, but she’ll force Johnson to give her more minutes if she keeps producing.
All of the above players have helped the rebuilding Mystics achieve a 4-6 record thus far, good for the WNBA’s eighth and final playoff seed. It’s still too early to analyze the standings, but it’s a hot start for a team with a new regime and two rookies starting.
Next up for Washington is a home clash with the Atlanta Dream on Sunday.
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