Fever's playoff position under threat after second-straight home loss to sub-.500 team

The Indiana Fever took another tough loss Friday night, dropping an 88-84 decision to the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Fever drop to 18-16 and are now in seventh place in the WNBA standings, putting their playoff position in jeopardy (top eight make it). Los Angeles and Seattle are just 1.5 games back of the Fever.

The Mystics were led by rookies Sonia Citron (21 points) and Kiki Iriafen (18 points and 12 rebounds).

Aliyah Boston had 20 points for the Fever, but Kelsey Mitchell had an off shooting night (just 6-of-19 from the floor and 1-of-6 from behind the arc).

Caitlin Clark missed her 12th straight game with a right groin strain and 21st of the season.

Here are three things to know.

Fever vs. Mystics stats: How many points did Kelsey Mitchell, Sonia Citron score?

The finish to Friday’s contest felt very familiar for the Fever: A one-possession game in the final 30 seconds.

A big defensive play by Aliyah Boston gave Indiana the ball, down 3, with 22.2 seconds left. And not unlike many other games this season, the Fever were unable to capitalize. Kelsey Mitchell took possession of the ball and after dribbling around for a few seconds as she looked for space, she drove in — and missed a layup at the rim. The Fever were forced to foul and the Mystics were able to convert enough free throws to prevent the game from becoming much more of a sweat down the stretch.

Of note: The Fever managed just 19 points in the third quarter and were out-scored 48-39 in the second half overall.

The Fever took their largest lead of the game at 40-27 late in the first half.

Then were out-scored 22-7, a Mystics scoring run that stretched into the third quarter.

The defense — which was largely brilliant in the first half — was a step slow through most of the third quarter, particularly when closing out along the arc. And following a 3-for-14 start from distance, the Mystics began taking advantage, canning three-of-four attempts as they forced their way ahead.

There were flashes of energy from the Fever offensively, including a steal-and-3 by Sophie Cunningham to reclaim the lead, but they were unable to maintain momentum until the final minute. Damiris Dantas hit a step-back jumper with 56 seconds left, launching the team on an 8-0 run that also featured a Cunningham triple and a Dantas 3 at the buzzer that gave Indiana a 64-62 advantage entering the fourth.

Fever coach Stephanie White said pregame point guard Odyssey Sims, whom the team signed to a hardship contract earlier this week, looked more comfortable during Thursday’s practice.

She looked significantly more comfortable on the floor Friday, too.

Following a relatively nondescript (and scoreless) debut Tuesday against the Wings, Sims checked in midway through the first quarter and promptly hit a 3 for her first points with her new team.

She looked significantly more confident in her second game and was a key contributor, scoring 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting with three assists and only one turnover.

Kyra Lambert, who joined the Fever Thursday on a seven-day contract, did not play.

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Fever vs Mystics score, stats: Indiana WNBA playoffs spot on thin ice

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Fever’s playoff position under threat after second-straight home loss to sub-.500 team

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