Kamilla Cardoso Had a Career Night, But Chicago's Five-Game Skid Is Getting Hard to Ignore

Alright, Seattle On Tap fam, let's talk hoops! Can you believe it? The Washington Mystics finally broke the curse at home last night, snagging their first home victory of the season with a dominant 90-72 win over the Chicago Sky! This team was 0-2 at home before this, so securing that W, especially without their leading scorer Sonia Citron, is massive for their early-season momentum. They're now sitting at 4-4, climbing their way back.

Mystics Step Up Big Time

Washington's offense was firing on all cylinders, proving they're more than just one player. Shakira Austin led the charge with a cool 17 points, and Kiki Iriafen absolutely showed out with a double-double, dropping 15 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. That's her fourth double-double in just eight games, folks! She was so close in her previous two, missing by just one rebound each time. And let's not forget Michaela Onyenwere, who chipped in 13 points to keep that scoreboard humming. Even with Sonia Citron sidelined for the first time in her career with a left foot sprain, the Mystics found a way to rally, leading 47-40 at halftime and never looking back. They even cleaned up on the glass, finishing plus-17 in total rebounds, with Austin grabbing eight and Angela Dugalic and Onyenwere pulling down seven each.

Chicago's Season Is Already on Life Support

But man, what's going on with Chicago? This loss makes it five straight defeats for the Sky, dropping them to a concerning 3-6 record. You can feel the struggle for consistency, especially since they're missing their top scorer, Rickea Jackson, who went down with a season-ending knee injury back on May 17. That's a brutal blow, and the team just hasn't recovered, with four of those five losses coming by double digits. They were down by as many as 22 points last night! Kamilla Cardoso, though, bless her heart, is giving it her all. She had a monster game with 12 points, 13 rebounds, and a career-best six blocks, plus she led the team with five assists. Sydney Taylor tried to keep them in it with 15 points, and Skylar Diggins (14 points) and Elizabeth Williams (10 points) also hit double-figures. The Sky even shot 50% in the first half, but they couldn't maintain that after the break, connecting on only 41.2% in the third quarter while coughing up four turnovers. That's just not going to cut it. The Mystics are now .500, a huge confidence boost after losing three of their previous four. For the Sky, though, they need to find answers fast. Searching for consistency without Jackson is a huge challenge, and this five-game slide is getting harder and harder to ignore. They desperately need to turn things around before this early season slump becomes an irreversible spiral.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.