Lauren Betts backs Iriafen as Mystics beat Tempo 79-62
Lauren Betts came off the Washington Mystics bench with 6 points and 6 rebounds as Kiki Iriafen poured in 25 points and 14 boards in a 79-62 road win over the short-handed Toronto Tempo on Tuesday night, July 14, 2026. Washington closed with a 53-30 second-half surge at Coca-Cola Coliseum in Toronto.
Key Takeaways
- Kiki Iriafen led all scorers with 25 points and 14 rebounds in Washington's 79-62 win.
- Lauren Betts added 6 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and a block in 20 reserve minutes.
- Shakira Austin posted a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double alongside Iriafen.
- Toronto played without Brittney Sykes, Kiki Rice and Temi Fagbenle and scored a season-low 62 points.
- The Mystics (12-10) outscored the Tempo (10-14) 53-30 after halftime.
How did Lauren Betts and Kiki Iriafen shape the Mystics win?
Iriafen started and dominated the glass, going 9-of-14 from the field and 7-of-8 at the line for a game-high 25 points to go with 14 rebounds in 28 minutes, per the ESPN game recap.
Betts checked in for 20 minutes and was efficient, making 3 of 4 shots for 6 points while grabbing 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block. Her plus-8 rating reflected steady bench work in a game Washington controlled after the break.
Shakira Austin added a second Mystics double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Michaela Onyenwere scored 15. All-Star Sonia Citron played 31 minutes but finished with just 2 points, her lowest scoring game of her two-year career.
The WNBA highlight package crowns Iriafen as the night's points leader against Toronto.
Why did Toronto struggle against Washington again?
The Tempo entered short-handed. Brittney Sykes (left plantar fascia), Kiki Rice (left ankle sprain) and Temi Fagbenle (concussion) did not play. Julie Allemand led Toronto with 15 points, and Nyara Sabally added 13.
All-Star Marina Mabrey, who had been cooking lately, managed only 8 points on 3-of-13 shooting. Isabelle Harrison also scored 8. ESPN called it Toronto's lowest scoring game of the 2026 season, under its previous low of 65 in a May 8 loss to Washington.
A Sports Illustrated preview had cast the Mystics as slight road favorites after two prior wins over Toronto and floated overs around Mabrey's usage. Instead, Washington's defense and rebounding (46-26 on the glass, 20 second-chance points to Toronto's 3) flipped the script.
When did the Mystics take control of the game?
Washington opened the second half on an 11-3 run, capped by an Iriafen layup that gave the Mystics their first lead since midway through the first quarter at 37-35.
From there, the visitors poured it on, outscoring Toronto 53-30 after halftime and building a largest lead of 17. Attendance was 8,210 at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Next up, the Mystics host Portland on Thursday, while the Tempo host Atlanta on Friday. For more odd and viral sports turns, browse Bizarre World on BlasterPost.