Washington at Golden State

Washington still remembers what Golden State did to them three weeks ago, a 62-49 defensive mauling that produced their worst offensive output of the season. That memory should sharpen the Mystics tonight, even with Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen trying to answer for a rough Thursday loss to Portland that dropped Washington to 12-11. The Valkyries arrive home fresh off the best road trip in franchise history, a perfect 5-0 stretch that pushed their winning streak to eight straight, the longest run in team history. But look at how they've actually done it: since the streak began, Golden State is scoring just 77.6 points a night on 43.9 percent shooting, outscoring opponents by an average of 9.1 points a night. That number is almost identical to the 8.5 Washington is catching tonight, which tells me the market has already priced in a typical Golden State win rather than anything larger. A team that wins through defense and depth rather than separation doesn't need much to slip under a number like this, especially in the first game back after a grueling five-city trip. Back Washington with the number tonight.