Buzzer-Beater Victory
Mystics Secure Thrilling Win Over Tempo with Citron's Buzzer-Beater, Betts Posts Career-High 18
Sonia Citron sank a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer to give the Washington Mystics an 86-85 win over the Toronto Tempo on Friday night. The shot came after Lauren Betts won a jump ball with 2.1 seconds left and tipped the ball to Citron, who delivered the game-winner. AP reported that Betts, a 6'7" rookie, scored a career-high 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting — the most points scored by a WNBA player in a single game this season.
In the other game of the night, the Golden State Valkyries beat the Seattle Storm 76-72, with Janelle Salaün scoring a career-high 22 points. The loss dropped Seattle to 3-12 on the season, their eighth straight defeat, according to AP.
Citron's Buzzer-Beater Caps Wild Fourth-Quarter Comeback
Washington led by 14 points — roughly 81-67 — with just over three minutes left in the fourth quarter. Then Toronto's Marina Mabrey took over. She scored 11 points in under three minutes, including two 3-pointers in a 25-second span. Mabrey's pull-up 3-pointer with 31.6 seconds left gave Toronto an 84-83 lead, according to AP.
Washington's Brittney Sykes answered with a driving layup to retake the lead. But the drama wasn't done. Betts got tied up under the basket with 2.1 seconds left. She won the jump ball and tipped it to Citron. Citron hit the fadeaway to seal the 86-85 win. Mabrey finished with 27 points total — 18 of them in the fourth quarter alone, AP noted.
Betts Shines Despite Washington's 22 Turnovers and Cold Shooting
The Mystics won despite playing some of their ugliest basketball of the season. They committed 22 turnovers — a season high. They shot just 2-of-18 from 3-point range, a dismal 11.1%. Toronto, by contrast, shot 9-of-25 from beyond the arc and forced 18 steals, also a season high, according to AP.
What saved Washington was its interior play. Betts shot 88.8% from the floor in 21 minutes. Shakira Austin added 12 points and 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. Betts said after the game: "It's about focusing on my process and constantly taking in new information. I'm just trying to get better every day," per Yahoo Sports.
Valkyries Hold Off Storm as Salaün and Williams Shine
In Seattle, the Golden State Valkyries won 76-72 to hand the Storm their eighth straight loss. Janelle Salaün hit five 3-pointers on her way to 22 points. Gabby Williams, who played against her former team, added 19 points, according to AP.
The win was far from clean. Golden State shot just 1-of-16 in the fourth quarter but leaned on strong defense to close it out. Seattle's brutal stretch has now dropped them to 3-12 on the season, raising questions about potential roster moves or a coaching change before the mid-season break, per The Star.
Toronto Expansion Era Shows Promise Despite Heartbreaking Loss
The Tempo entered the league in May 2026 as the WNBA's 14th team — and its first outside the United States. They play at the Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto. Despite the last-second loss, Toronto moved to 7-6 on the season. That record is a sign of just how fast expansion teams are competing in the modern WNBA, according to Winnipeg Free Press.
Toronto's Marina Mabrey was signed as the franchise's "cornerstone" player. She also hit a milestone Friday, moving into 23rd place in WNBA history with 473 career 3-pointers, surpassing Shekinna Stricklen. The Tempo's General Manager Monica Wright Rogers said that "identifying Mabrey in the Expansion Draft was an exciting step" for the organization. Both Washington and Toronto now sit at 2-2 in Commissioner's Cup play, per CT Post.
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