Dallas (14-14) led by six points with two minutes remaining in the College Park Center on Sunday. It seemed as if the 5,623 fans in attendance would get to watch the Wings snap a four-game losing skid. Mystics guard Kristi Toliver had other plans.
Toliver scored eight-straight points — highlighted by the game-deciding turnaround fadeaway with 1.6 seconds to play — while Washington kept Dallas scoreless, handing the Wings their fifth consecutive loss. Dallas currently maintains a 1.5 game lead over Las Vegas for the eighth and final playoff seed with six games remaining.
Kayla Thornton finished with 16 points, 5 assists and four rebounds and a charismatic defensive effort despite the loss. Thornton had the defensive assignment of matching against Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne. The five-time WNBA All-Star finished with 5 points on 2-for-9 shooting from the field.
Kayla Thornton had the assignment of defending Elena Delle Donne. The five-time All-Star is averaging 20.9 PPG this season and totaled 5 PTS on 9 shots against the @DallasWings.
Coach Williams spoke highly of @KBT_5Blessed’s performance. #WNBA pic.twitter.com/DP58QeJh6W
— Mike DuPont II (@MikeDuPont_) August 6, 2018
“That’s a tough assignment,” Williams said of the matchup. “I think [Thornton] did a great job of getting some team help on that, too. I thought Delle Donne was a bit unselfish and really let her teammates work with the ball.”
Liz Cambage recorded her 13th double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds in the loss. Glory Johnson notched her second double-double of the regular season with 10 points and 11 rebounds. The two combined for 25 rebounds while Washington finished with 29 total team rebounds.
Both teams struggled to maintain consistency on offense. Washington shot 34.4 percent from three on 32 attempts despite shooting 43 percent from the field. Dallas shot 45 percent from the field but the Wings missed four of their seven attempts from the free-throw line.
The Wings were without their All-Star guard Skylar Diggins-Smith, who was listed as questionable due to a face injury and did not play.
Williams expressed Diggins-Smith was not in concussion protocol.
.@DallasWings HC Fred Williams details Skylar Diggins-Smith’s injury-related absence from Sunday’s loss to Washington. pic.twitter.com/3cbDRvEX1c
— Mike DuPont II (@MikeDuPont_) August 6, 2018
Dallas returns to action at 7 p.m. Wednesday to host the Connecticut Sun from the College Park Center in Arlington.
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