Natasha Cloud watched her Washington Mystics teammates defeat the Las Vegas Aces from her residence on Tuesday night time after getting into well being and security protocols attributable to testing optimistic for COVID-19. Cloud stay tweeted the sport, during which the Mystics trailed by 15 earlier than rallying after halftime to come back away with the 89-76 victory and changing into the primary workforce to start out the 2022 WNBA season 3-0.

“I hope y’all know I am operating round this residence flexing,” she tweeted. “YALL BETTER START TALKING ABOUT THEM MYSTICS.”

She is not fallacious. What was arguably most spectacular about Tuesday’s outing was that Washington was capable of assert its will over a workforce most anticipated to win, and do it with out a number of game-changing gamers in Cloud, Alysha Clark (foot harm) and Elizabeth Williams (competing abroad). As soon as these three are again within the fold, and assuming two-time MVP Elena Delle Donne continues to progress in the proper course bodily as she returns from a again harm, the Mystics will not simply appear like they’re going to return to the playoffs after lacking the reduce final season. They’re going to appear like severe championship contenders.

At instances over the previous two years, Washington’s 2019 title run felt like one other eon in the past. Coming into 2022, Delle Donne had performed simply three video games throughout the final two seasons, and a slew of different participant opt-outs and accidents left the Mystics with out its anticipated core or in any other case shorthanded most of that stretch.

With questions on Delle Donne and Clark’s availability, expectations surrounding the workforce have been, understandably, pretty tempered. Our personal ESPN rankings slotted them at No. 7 within the preseason, earlier than they rose to No. 3 following the league’s opening weekend.

However enjoying the red-hot Aces with out Cloud wasn’t something they could not deal with.

“We have had time to attempt to construct that muscle of whoever put this jersey on, that is who we’re rocking with,” guard Ariel Atkins mentioned. “We have given one another confidence and perception in one another and that helps us stroll into what we all know foundationally about our group and go on the market and do the perfect we are able to to get the win that night time.”

After trailing large early towards Becky Hammon’s Aces, who within the first half regarded just like the workforce that had crushed the Phoenix Mercury and defeated the championship-minded Seattle Storm, Washington rocked them again on their heels down the stretch.

“I simply suppose that is the character of the individuals now we have drafted, traded for, recruited,”Mystics coach Mike Thibault mentioned. “They’ve toughness about them.”

Added Cloud on Twitter: “Tradition actually makes a distinction.”

What can this workforce appear like at full energy? Thibault mentioned they’ve felt all offseason they could be a top-tier defensive workforce, and Tuesday (the place they held the Aces to seven third-quarter factors) confirmed a glimpse of what that might appear like. Including a former defensive participant of the year-caliber participant in Clark and 2020 All-Defensive Workforce choice in Williams again into the lineup ought to solely assist.

On the opposite finish of the ground, Cloud is hungrier than ever — she even put the league on discover throughout Sunday’s recreation at Minnesota, taking the mic throughout an in-game interview to assert she’s a shooter now. Essential to the Mystics’ long-term success will likely be Atkins, who posted the one double-digit plus-minus Tuesday (+28), and Myisha Hines-Allen, who practically recorded a triple-double towards the Aces (15 factors, eight assists, eight rebounds). Hines-Allen mentioned Cloud helped her rediscover her confidence after she was in her head towards the Minnesota Lynx, telling her, “You are a dawg, nobody out right here can take you.” Hines-Allen texted Cloud after her COVID-19 prognosis, “ima maintain down the dawg pound tonight.” And she or he did.

As for Delle Donne, Thibault mentioned that she “will in all probability inform you that she does not have the rhythm she desires but … but when [19 points and seven rebounds in just under 30 minutes Tuesday] was the perfect we have, this must be nice!” That she’s averaging a team-best 20.0 factors, 8.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and a pair of.0 blocks per recreation early within the season is a optimistic signal for Washington.

It is early sufficient within the season — and there are nonetheless lacking essential items that may remodel groups — that projections on who would be the final squad standing this fall are totally untimely. However the Mystics’ considerably surprisingly sturdy begin has pressured their inclusion in that dialogue.

“I really feel like sky is the restrict for us,” Hines-Allen mentioned. “It offers us quite a lot of confidence, simply realizing that our complete workforce is not right here but, however we’re nonetheless enjoying nice basketball.”

Additionally this week

The W’s ongoing journey woes

Cloud isn’t one to mince phrases, and he or she did not maintain again Tuesday, calling out the league for its industrial flying practices notably amid the continued COVID-19 pandemic. “Shoutout to the @WNBA for flying us industrial throughout a pandemic. (And no masks mandates),” she tweeted sarcastically. On Instagram: “At what level do gamers security come first? I am doing my half…”

Seattle’s Breanna Stewart joined in on the criticism Wednesday, after she and Epiphanny Prince additionally entered COVID-19 protocols earlier than the workforce’s recreation at Phoenix.

New Aces normal supervisor Natalie Williams posted a since-deleted tweet that referred to as on celebrities and types to “donate to the trigger” and assist WNBA groups constitution flights.

Gamers, and even some homeowners, have more and more decried the league’s industrial journey insurance policies, a problem that got here to a head in March when it was reported that the New York Liberty had been fined $500,000 for chartering flights within the second half of the 2021 season, amongst different guidelines violations.

At the same time as WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert continues to say that chartering is just too costly for the league right now (she cited a $20 million price per season, which Williams referenced in her tweet), it is clear this can proceed to be a hot-button challenge. And if large title gamers like Stewart are popping out this strongly towards industrial journey, the stress is simply intensified for the league to discover a resolution.

The inclusivity dialog

Sue Chook, Nneka Ogwumike, Breanna Stewart, DiDi Richards and Te’a Cooper will likely be featured within the upcoming Sports activities Illustrated Swimsuit challenge, which some noticed as a significant amplification of the league on a platform with vital tradition attain.

A number of WNBA gamers took to social media to interact in a constructive dialogue on what true inclusivity may appear like.

“I like Sports activities Illustrated’s try and be extra inclusive and amplify ladies within the W,” the Connecticut Solar’s Courtney Williams tweeted. “On the similar time although it could of been uncooked to see a glossy lil sports activities bra & some shorts swaggin’. There’s multiple approach to look attractive, and I hope sooner or later we are able to faucet into that.”

The Liberty’s Stefanie Dolson agreed in an Instagram story: “Could not agree extra… There are extra inclusive methods to signify the W. Large ladies are SEXY too.”

Williams’ tweet alludes to this, however there’s a complete dialog that must be had — one that’s exterior the confines of this area — over what forms of our bodies, gender identities and expressions of sexuality are persistently amplified in and across the WNBA. That this dialog is even taking place is a begin, however it’s finally on manufacturers and corporations to be those to diversify who they promote on their platforms.

Trying forward

How will a dominant Rhyne Howard and the Atlanta Dream, who improved to 2-0 Wednesday with a win over the beforehand undefeated Los Angeles Sparks, fare towards a troublesome Aces workforce searching for a bounce-back win (Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET)? The rookie-fueled Indiana Fever have been enjoyable to observe, too, selecting up their first win of 2022 on Tuesday towards the Lynx. Can they earn one other towards the Liberty (Friday, 8:00 p.m. ET) or Dream (Sunday, 3:00 p.m. ET)?

The Solar, who’re nonetheless with out Williams (suspension) and DeWanna Bonner (abroad), have not performed since their season-opening loss to the Liberty on Might 7. How will they reply coming off per week of relaxation (vs. Sparks, Saturday, 7:00 p.m.)? The Liberty, in the meantime, had a poor outing (i.e. a 33-point loss) towards the Chicago Sky Wednesday and have the chance to get again on observe towards the Fever and Dallas Wings(Sunday, 2:00 p.m. ET).

Whereas some gamers are lastly suiting up for his or her groups over these subsequent few days, others are nonetheless overseas or have been sidelined attributable to COVID. Coming into the second weekend of the season, it is nonetheless tough to completely grasp what groups are able to with a lot personnel fluidity.

Fantasy ideas

Who to start out:

Sabrina Ionescu: After a disappointing outing Wednesday towards Chicago, count on the previous No. 1 decide to return to kind towards the Fever and Wings this weekend.

Tina Charles: Charles went off within the first of this week’s two matchups between Phoenix and Seattle Wednesday. With Mercedes Russell out with a non-basketball harm and Stewart presumably nonetheless sidelined with COVID-19 for the Storm on Saturday, she ought to have the identical impression when these squads meet once more.

Dana Evans: Evans seemingly will not see as many minutes as soon as Allie Quigley and Kahleah Copper return for the Sky (observe: Quigley might make her season debut Saturday). Till Quigley is again in correct kind, nonetheless, Evans stays a much less apparent however nonetheless worthwhile fantasy decide, averaging 19.5 PPG in 30.5 minutes throughout two video games.

Who to sit down:

Seattle’s Stewart and Prince, in addition to Washington’s Cloud are all in COVID-19 protocols, so you should definitely bench them. The Lynx’s Natalie Achonwa can be out indefinitely, the workforce introduced Wednesday, after struggling a proper hamstring pressure, and 2020 rookie of the 12 months Crystal Dangerfield‘s hardship contract is up with the Fever after a robust outing towards her former workforce in Minnesota.